Thanagarian
by May Yuki
Summary: Kenra, a graduate of the Assassination division on Thanagar, finds herself in unfamiliar territory after crash landing on Earth nearly a year after the hyperspace bypass was destroyed. Why is she here? What does she want? And why does she look so much like Shayera? (Reworked story!)
1. Crash

**To first time readers of _Thanagarian_ , welcome! To returning readers of _Thanagarian_ , hello again! **

**Just a quick message to the old and the new readers, there have been changes here and there to certain events but the plot still remains pretty similar to the original (if anyone remembers the original).**

 **On with the story!**

* * *

 **Time: 2300 hours PST**

 **Location: Section 510 of Watchtower**

"S-P-C two, finished."

"S-P-C three, also finished."

"S-P-C four, almost finished."

"S-P-C four, estimated time of completion?"

"Unsure, S-P-C one. Rough estimation is-"

"Wait, what is _that_?" The check-ins from the maintenance crew of section 510 of the Watchtower ceases in response to the question. They all look around, trying to determine who spoke up and what they had seen.

"S-P-C nine, come in. What have you spotted?" No response. "S-P-C nine, please come in."

"I'll go check on him," a new voice enters the conversation.

"Please do, Fayth," the leader of the group requests, stopping all formalities.

The woman in question, Fayth Hughes – also known as SPC ten – pushes herself off the Watchtower for momentum to get to her partner. Once she reaches her partner, Marshall Valz, she grabs his shoulder and he slowly turns to her. "Marshall, what happened? What did you see?"

His eyes glance to the left and she follows his eye-line, noticing a twinkle in the distance. As it gets closer, she realizes with a start that it's a small space shuttle. She brings a hand up to her helmet, "SPC crew, there is a bloody shuttle incoming and set to collide with us if we don't get the hell back into the Watchtower!"

"Begin return to Watchtower!" the leader, Miguel Lopez, commands as he reports the situation to those inside the Watchtower. The wires attached to the ten members of SPC crew begin to slowly pull the members back to the Watchtower. Unfortunately, Marshall and Fayth are the furthest from their destination and the shuttle isn't slowing down any time soon.

"Shit! It's too slow!" Marshall starts flailing wildly as if that would help speed up the process. He frantically grabs onto Fayth's cable to pull himself back.

"Marshall, what the bloody-!"

"I ain't gonna die! I ain't gonna die!"

Fayth grimaces as she twists around, pushing herself over to Marshall's cable to pull herself in as well. Their cable tangles as the shuttle comes closer and Marshall starts screaming in fear, flailing wildly as if that would help speed him up. Fayth closes her eyes, bracing herself for the heat when she feels a strong arm wrap around her waist and notices that Marshall's scream has cut off.

She opens her eyes in time to see the shuttle streak by them in a fireball and she scowls. Where has she seen that design before? She turns her head slightly to see who had rescued her. Martian Manhunter himself is carrying both Marshall and her with Green Lantern in the distance, helping maneuver the rest of their crew back into the Watchtower.

As J'onn helps the pair regain their footing in the Watchtower, Fayth's eyes widen when she realizes where she had seen the design and wonders, " _Was that a Thanagarian shuttle?"_

* * *

 **Time: 0200 hours EST**

 **Location: ?**

The golden shuttle shudders violently once it passes Earth's atmosphere, smoke still trailing from behind. Sparks begin to erupt around the exterior of the vehicle, a small fire beginning to spread as well. The figure in the shuttle curses under her breath as she tries to regain control, her hands shaking violently as she clutches tightly to the control yoke.

Some controls explode, showering the woman in sparks and she moves a hand in front of her face to protect herself. The entire machine jerks as a result and she growls, trying to regain control. She scowls deeper when she realizes there's no chance to salvage the plane so she grabs onto a lever to her left and yanks it up hard. The hatch slowly opens and she grabs her trust Nth metal sword from behind her.

She shakily stands up, her black cape flapping wildly in the wind and her wings unfurling – happy to be free from the confined space. As the ground comes closer, she pushes herself out of the seat and her wings start flapping wildly to get out of the doomed shuttle.

She barely reaches high ground before the shuttle crashes into the ground, pushing itself down the road for a few moments before stopping. It leaves a trail of destroyed gravel and smoke as she flies over to its new location. After waiting for two minutes and not seeing a single reaction from the area, she moves. These types of incidents must be natural occurrences…humans are odd beings, she muses to herself. She lands in front of it, finally sheathing her sword into the leather scabbard hanging on the right side of her waist. Her wings close themselves, hiding under her cloak – which is constantly flickering to match the background as she moves towards the shuttle.

She smiles, despite her current situation, and mutters to herself, "Just like how Fray tried to sabotage my flight test…"

A dark shadow passes over her face, the smile disappearing faster than a lightning bolt. Memories start to rush at her like a flood as she closes her eyes tightly in pain. Fray…her Fray. Gone because he had sacrificed his life so that _she_ could escape Thanagar. He had been there for her from the very moment she entered the Academy. He had been there for her whenever she had nightmares of Gordanians tormenting her. He had been there for her after a cruel and twisted final exam; she grimaces when she remembers the spray of blood and a melancholic smile. He had been there in the last battle. Her final moment with him was–

She shakes her head clear of the memory, hesitantly reaching out to check on her transportation. Now is not the time to go down memory lane. She's in unfamiliar territory, she reminds herself. She can't afford to be distracted. There's a huge target on her back as it is. She managed to survive an entire year in space - alone - and she'd be damned if she gets killed now. Before she can even touch it, a section explodes and she steps back in surprise. Well, she won't be going back to Thanagar for a while.

"Then again, there's not much to return to…" she muses. As she escaped Thanagar – frantically bobbing and weaving through the wreckage in space and avoiding any possible attacks from the Gordanians – she had seen Hro Talak's flagship crash into the Gordanians' mothership. A noble choice, she had thought, but too little…too late. As much as she hates to admit it – even now – the war was already over. It's _been_ over ever since… _that_ happened.

She sneers. She was in the middle of a mission when Hro had taken a battalion with him to Earth to build the hyperspace bypass. She had wanted to go to see what Earth was like, but the Thanagarian Elders refused her request. Of course, it was understandable. She couldn't just abandon her mission to join in on the excursion to Earth, especially when her task was just as vital as the hyperspace bypass.

She carried out her mission as quickly as possible, hoping to join the last ship leaving for Earth. She had heard that they needed more troops because the – what were they called? The…Justice League? The Justice League had figured out their intents and sought to fight back. She wanted to assist Hro and his soldiers, but she missed the flight by hours.

What appeared to be mere hours after she returned, news began spreading in Thanagar that Hro's mission had failed and that he and the battalion were actually on their way home. And it was because of _one person_. _Her_. She lets out a growl, remembering who's at fault for the destruction of her home. She feels her heart physically break as she remembers how the Gordanians invaded their home in what appeared to be seconds after it was reported that the bypass was destroyed. It was as if they had received word that Thanagar was vulnerable.

She had lost what little she had left that day. Her parents had died protecting her when she was younger and all she had left were her friends and Fray. Those same friends sacrificed themselves to allow her to flee from the doomed planet. But why? Why did they let her go? Why didn't they all try to escape with her?

It must have been so she could come _here_ and seek revenge on the woman that destroyed everything. The one that ruined _everything_. The one that had fooled and betrayed everyone on Thanagar. They had all placed their trust on her to scout out Earth and see if it was a good location to build the bypass. They all believed in that _woman_ , including herself! And what did they get in return? A Gordanian invasion that came since most of their best fighters had gone with Hro and his squad. She had thought it was her fault that she lost everything, but it's not…It's _that woman_ 's fault. The blood of her friends and Fray is on _her._

Her ears pick up on faint footsteps that seem to be coming closer to her and she shifts into a defensive position, ready to attack anything that moves. She flexes her right wrist and the faint sound of steel sliding out of leather reassures her as her eyes scan the entire area. "Who's there?" she questions, careful to not be too loud. A shadow to her right shifts as it moves to her as if it had materialized from thin air.

"No one important. Just a highly paid mercenary," comes the reply. Her hand reaches over to her sword's hilt as she leans forward in anticipation. "Are you sure about that move? It leaves your entire left side open."

She cautiously pulls out her sword, grateful for the familiar, scraping noise of steel on leather. She points it at the shadow, "What do you want from me?"

"Considering the fact that you're a Thanagarian, I _could_ just leave you to die here in _Blüdhaven_. After all, there are many people that are still out for Thanagarian blood after the invasion. She growls in response, knowing for a fact that he's trying to provoke her. But why? "Or, I could let you work with me. You can do whatever you want as long as you do what I say when necessary."

"Perhaps it's because I trust you and hope that the two of us can agree to a good and _happy_ partnership," the mercenary quips before chuckling. "Of course, that's complete bullshit. From what I've gathered, and believe me, it's not that much, you are Sha-"

Before he can finish his statement, a strong cold wind gusts about him as he feels a sword press up against his neck. Don't say her name in front of me," she demands. She feels something sharp press against her abdomen and she glances down, noticing the dagger ready to counter her. "You have guts, mercenary," she relents, pulling away. She sheathes her sword and steps back, crossing her arm. "So, what's your motive in all of this? What would _you_ , a highly paid mercenary, want from a displaced Thanagarian?"

The mercenary turns to her and she belatedly notes that she only sees his left eye. "Let's just say there's been a superhero or two that has been a rather…pain to deal with over the years. If we work together, we'll be able to topple the entire organization and you can have _her_ while I deal with the rest of the heroes." The mercenary turns his back to her and looks up at the sky. "So, would you like to accept my offer?"

"And if I say no?" The Thanagarian asks, weighing her options.

"Then I leave you here on your own. You will have to survive in unknown territory and face a multitude of adversaries, both heroes and villains. The villains, however, will use you for their own purposes."

"Isn't that what you're doing to me?" she observes.

The mercenary chuckles, turning back around. "Similar, but I guarantee that you will get your target. I won't step in and stop you when we have the chance." He steps towards her, extending out his hand. "So, I will ask one last time. Do you accept my offer?"

She stares at his hand for another moment before walking towards him. "I suppose; I didn't expect to get help this soon, but anything to get back at Shayera Hol." The two shake on it and the mercenary introduces himself.

"My name is Deathstroke as a mercenary. My real name? You can call me either Slade or Wilson. What is yours?"

"My name? It's Kenra…" The Thanagarian pulls away and puts both her hands behind her back, smiling innocently with a malevolent glint in her eyes.

" **Kenra Hol** …"

* * *

 **If there are any inconsistencies in this chapter or future chapters, please PLEASE let me know. I noticed some contradictory scenes in the early chapters and I hope to erase any and all in both this story and in future works.**

 **Another thing, no set schedule for updates. I'll try to do once a week since this _is_ a rework. At the longest, it'd be a monthly update. But I'll try to have at least two chapters posted a month.**


	2. Family

**I meant to update right after the first chapter, but completely forgot. I've been away from this website for so long and only recently started writing again thanks to Loki's Son.**

 **Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

 _On Thanagar, the planet was divided into three primary sections throughout the entire planet._

 _The first was the lowest, designated for Thanagarians that were deemed incapable of participating in the war. Everyone classified them as cannon fodder and a disgrace to the empire; anyone residing there was either physically incapable of fighting or a poor family who dreamed of rising in the ranks to have a better life. These disgraced Thanagarians were the one percent that weren't born into the military. They lived in small and decrepit houses, the entire area resembling a garbage dump. Anyone there with dreams and ambitions of joining the military were more likely to be failed out of the first week or two of classes than not. Those physically incapable rarely saw their lives go past twenty since most veteran Thanagarians chose to reside in the barracks instead. Some Thanagarian soldiers that did manage to make it out of the slums even went as far as describing it as hell._

 _The second section was for the foot soldiers or any Thanagarian who could fight but with no specific skill set. They lived in the barracks along with the veterans should they ever be needed to fight. This was where the majority of the population resided. Ninety-nine percent of the Thanagarians were born into the military, expected to join the academy by the time they were ten Earth years old. The only times these soldiers didn't live in the barracks were when they were sent away on missions or if they were on maternity leave._

 _The third and final section was for the higher-ups, primarily Thanagarians that ranked higher than captains or corporals and allowed them to live with their families. They lived in towers at least five hundred feet tall near the military barracks. In one such golden-hued tower, windows were strewn all over to allow the residents to land wherever they wished. At the very top were the bedrooms and one could hear a sergeant scolding her child._

" _Kenra, get down! You haven't had enough training with flight! You'll hurt yourself!" Her mother commanded the then 8-years old Kenra Hol who completely ignored said commands._

 _Around this age, most children were gradually developing their wings and tend to get excited by the aspect of flying. The more rambunctious Thanagarians would fly away from their homes to pull pranks on their parents while the more behaved and disciplined Thanagarians waited until their parents taught them how to properly fly. Kenra was the former. She ignored her mother's words and landed atop the cupboard._

" _Kenra!"_

 _She rolled her eyes, her mother could just as easily fly up and grab her herself. Ever since her elder sister had gone to the Academy, her parents – particularly her father – had decided to devote their free time on training the youngest Hol. That made Kenra act out. She focused most of her pranks on her parents, occasionally misplacing her father's mace or her mother's mask. One time, she even almost dyed her father's wings completely black! Ah, that one was fun…the aftermath, not so much._

 _Her caretakers would always try to stop her, but she managed to outwit them. She made sure that they weren't penalized though, taking any and all beatings or penalties that could have been inflicted onto them. After all, they were just doing their job. No one knew why the young Hol rebelled. Some theorized she was lonely and wanted an actual family moment, not drill sergeants that woke her up early in the morning to do push-ups. Others believed it was because she didn't want to join the Academy; after all, her skills were sub-par compared to her sister. "A true disappointment," she would hear fellow soldiers comment whenever they came to observe her progress._

 _Being one of the few second child of a family on a planet that was constantly at war, moments without her parents were more often than not as well. She received more care and love from her caretakers than her own mother and father. She wouldn't admit it to anyone, especially her parents, but she craved actual care and attention from them. Not the "Drop and give me 20! I don't care if it's too early!" mentality they always had when they saw her._

 _Everyone had expected her to be more like her sister: obedient and disciplined. The kind that would ask "How high?" when told to jump. No, Kenra wasn't that type of Thanagarian. She wanted to live her life how she wanted to, not how her family or even the whole damn planet wanted her to. Besides, why does she even have to go to that damn Academy? Thanagar has been at war with the Gordanians for years and there was no end in sight. What was the damn point of fighting a losing war? Why does she have to sign her life away? She'd be lucky if she lived past her 30_ _th_ _birthday. The life expectancy for Thanagarians has dropped drastically over the last decade and she didn't think it would stop anytime soon._

 _When she heard that Thanagarians were expelled from the academy due to their unruly behavior, she knew that that was her way out. That was how she was going to escape. Hell, she thought, if I can show that I'm too disobedient before I even enter, then I won't even have to go through the first two weeks!_

" _Kenra, get down now!" her mother demanded, still standing there. Kenra rolled her eyes, why won't this woman just fly up and grab her? Was she planning on waiting until Kenra got bored? Or was she waiting for her to fall so she could give the young girl a life lesson? Everything had to be a life lesson with this woman. Kenra scanned the top of the cupboard, looking for something to throw at her mother. "I'll double your punishments if you don't come down."_

… _Terrifying thought, but it's not like she wasn't going to double it in the first place. At this rate, she might quadruple the punishment. Ah well, might as well make the most of the moment. Kenra reached out to grab a vase when the cupboard shook violently. She froze up as she felt her hand slip off the wooden cupboard, losing her balance. She closed her eyes and braced for the impact, but instead, she felt herself land in something almost as solid as the ground._

 _She sheepishly opened her eyes and made eye contact with her father's dark and steady eyes. Her mouth curled downwards, expecting a much harsher rebuke than before. She rarely directly disobeyed her father. His punishments were much worse than her mother's; after all, he is the one that wakes her up in the dead of night just to see if she would be ready for an actual fight._

 _He placed her down onto the ground, towering above her. "Kenra, what have I told you about doing such acts? You have a little over a year before we send you the Academy! Such acts will not be–"_

" _Easily dismissed like we have done in the past," Kenra interrupted, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms. "I know that, father. I've heard you and mother and the caretakers say that many times already. But I still have 'over a year' like you said before I'm carted off to that dumb Academy anyway! Why do I even have to go to that stupid thing? There's no point in it! What if I actually value my life? I'd rather stay home and, I don't know, maybe have some nice family time with you and mother! Is that too much to ask? Besides…! I'm not much of a fighter, remember?"_

 _This was a recurring argument that she's had with her parents, particularly her militaristic father. For some reason, whenever she trained, her body froze up. Sometimes, when she had the chance to defeat her father, she would stop as if the wooden sword held in her hand was the sharpest blade she ever held. Other times, her father would be swinging either his own wooden sword or mace at her and rather than block it, she would stand there and take the full force of his attack. No matter what she did, no matter who tried to talk to her to determine the cause, her body completely refused to cooperate. As a result, she would always end her training sessions with cuts and bruises. Her most recent was a large bruise on her left shoulder where her father had swung his sword with no holds barred at her weapon arm. She could barely move it afterwards, let alone train._

" _Kenra, you're the daughter of Sergeant and Colonel Hol!" her father gestured at his wife and himself respectively. "The Hols have a history of being one of the highest-ranked soldiers of the Thanagarian Empire! Why would you not want that privilege? Don't you realize that is what your sister is aiming for? Do you really want to dishonor us?" Behind him, Kenra's mother flinched, knowing full well her beloved had stepped over a line. Again. She placed a hand on his shoulder to try and stop him, but he only brushed it off and kneeled down in front of her. Despite now being eye level to his daughter, he still held the imposing gaze on her. "There are hundreds and thousands of fellow Thanagarians dying every day on the battlefield! We need more soldiers now more than ever to help us fend off against those damn Gordanians! Do you really want to be the one that could have helped us win the war but didn't? Do you not realize how important and significant just one more soldier joining is? For all we know, you or your sister could be the turning point to the war!"_

 _Kenra scowled, clenching her fists in anger. "What's the point of that, anyways? All we do is fight! We wake up in the morning and we're off to fight in the war! We're lucky if we ever come home after we leave! What's the point of fighting if we're all just marching to our slaughter?!" Her retort was cut off with a loud slap on her cheek. The stinging pain caused her to bite her tongue in surprise and she brought her hand up to her cheek to try and lessen the pain. She fearfully pulled away from her father as he glared at her._

 _Before he could say or do anything further, her mother stepped in. "Andar, we must stop. We will continue this when you've calmed down." She pulled him up and stepped in between her husband and daughter. She looked down at the frightened child, torn between her maternal and soldier instincts. On one hand, she wanted to rush to her daughter's side and comfort her. She wanted to let her know that her father didn't mean to hit her, but at the same time, a part of her believed that Kenra deserved it. She was being disobedient and Andar simply did what he had to in order for her to learn. Years of drilling and training pushed itself to the surface as her face hardened as well._

" _We will discuss this later, Kenra. We expect you to have finished your duties for the day before we come back and you better expect some strict discipline later tonight." Kenra doesn't move her spot, having stopped moving to listen to the noise outside of her home. It sounded like–_

 _The room shook violently as she ran to the window. Her eyes widened when she saw a small ship flying directly at them, shooting at the bottom of the tower to topple it. "Kenra!" she heard her father. She turned around as he grabbed her away from the window, holding her under his arm. "We must escape before –" The tower shuddered as the Gordanian ship scored a direct shot at the base. Her father lost his balance momentarily before regaining it. "Tava!" Her mother rushed forward._

 _Kenra heard the ship veer around the tower, this time shooting right at the room they were at. The debris showered them and her father let out a pained scream as she tumbled away. She tried to push herself up, but she let out a groan of pain when she felt her left ankle flaring in pain. It was probably twisted now. She resorted to resting on her right elbow and looked around the dust-filled room, coughing. Once the dust settled, she saw that one of her father's wings was crushed under a large piece of wreckage._

" _Father!"_

 _He let out a grunt of exertion as he tried to push the rubble off of him. "Where is…where is…Tava?" A faint groan beside Kenra pulled her away from her father._

" _Mother!"_

 _She pulled herself besides her mother and gasped. Her mother's mask was gone and blood was flowing freely from a cut on her head, her bright-red hair darkening due to the blood. "Kenra!" she heard her father. She frightfully turned back to face her father who seemed to have given up on escaping. Only now does she realize that his leg was also crushed underneath. "You must escape."_

" _But–"_

" _Now is not the time to be insubordinate, Kenra!" She jumped in response to his booming voice. "You've been practicing flying, haven't you?" She meekly nodded, her hands starting to shake. "Good, it's time to use those wings."_

" _What about–"_

" _I'll be right behind you with your mother," he replied, pulling out his mace. "Now go! That ship is coming back." Just as he destroyed the rock, Tava woke up, albeit still disoriented. Her left eye remained closed to prevent the blood from going in and her right eye was struggling to focus._

" _Kenra…"_

" _Mother," Kenra began. Her father stumbled to her mother's side and picked her up bridal-style._

" _Come, Kenra." Tava regained her bearings and she noticed something above her father._

" _Andar!" He glanced up and cursed. Her mother pushed herself out of her father's hold just as the ship focused its attention on them. Kenra looked up at that moment and she felt her legs lock up. The mouth of the ship's main turret was…_

" _Get away!" was the last thing she heard from her parents. She felt them push her away and she hit her head against a rock, losing consciousness. She felt the ground give away and then nothing afterwards._

* * *

 **Time: 0400 hours EST**

 **Location: Bedroom**

Kenra pushes herself upwards, sweat pouring down her face and her face illuminated by the moonlight streaming in through the bedroom window. She scans the area, searching desperately for her mask and sword. She breathes a sigh of relief when she finds her mask on the bedside table and her sword beside her. She rarely sleeps without either item far from her.

She leans against the wall as she wipes the sweat from her face, thinking over what she had just dreamt about. That was the day her parents, Sergeant Tava Hol and Colonel Andar Hol, perished. She had somehow survived that final blast and she was told that her parents protected her with their dying breaths from the rubble. At first, she didn't want to believe that they had died. She _couldn't_ believe it. The great Sergeant and Colonel Hols died protecting a worthless and rebellious eight year old Thanagarian, not fighting for their home? No one could wrap their head around that. Everyone had always assumed the Hols put their home ahead of anything else, even their own children, but Kenra knew. When she discovered that she was still alive, that was when she knew. Deep down, under the militaristic and stone-faced masks her parents wore, they cared for and loved her deeply.

But on a planet that was so focused on fighting, it was difficult for them to lift that façade over time. The soldiers that recovered her told her that there wasn't much to salvage of her parents' remains and that just made it worse for her. She couldn't even pay her respects for them. She couldn't even thank them!

Her eyes start to mystify and she bites her lips, forcing the tears back and choking back her sob. During her first night at the Academy after that day, while she laid there, she had sworn to herself she wouldn't cry anymore. She is a grown woman now, a graduate from basic training _and_ the Assassin division on Thanagar. And yet…why do these tears still form? Even after all these years?

As she sits there, she remembers why it all still hurts. If it weren't for _that woman_ , her parents' death wouldn't have been in vain. Hell, a lot of deaths could have been prevented and Thanagar wouldn't have been subjected to such a humiliating loss to the Gordanians. She curses her weakness. If she had been a bit stronger, she would have finished her mission faster and she would have been able to join the reinforcements. If she had been there, she would have been able to make sure _that woman_ didn't have second thoughts. …Does she even _remember her_?

She glances over to her sword, a melancholic look on her face. The sword is her most prized possession; it was going to be given to her when she was sent to the Academy. Her mother had used it when she was younger. The sword has been passed down from mother to child. If she had been an only child, she would have received her father's mace instead. Luckily for her, she was the second child and to Kenra, a mace was much too flashy and big to use. She felt more comfortable swinging and parrying with a sword rather than bashing an enemy's head in with a mace.

She chokes back another sob. That sword was all she had left of her family. She had no time to get anything else when she fled Thanagar, not even her gifts she had received from Fray. She bites her lip.

Thinking about Fray just opens a whole new can of worms and she softly hits her head against the wall behind her. Her heart aches painfully as she thinks of everyone who perished on Thanagar: her parents, her fellow classmates of class BH-8, her friends and squad, the Thanagarian Elders, the nurturers who cared for her in her early years, and…Fray. They all died because of one person. Her… _sister_. The word tastes bitter in her mouth the more she tries to say it.

That woman…is _not_ her sister. They may have met once or twice, but they've never truly bonded. They're not sisters! Kenra's face darkens, her eyes shimmering with the tears and her face contorted in rage. All she has to do is find her sis- No, all she has to do is find Shayera the Thanagarian traitor and kill her. She doesn't care how or what she has to do to find and kill Shayera.

But she _will_ get her revenge on Shayera. Only then can her friends truly be at peace.

* * *

 **Time: 0430 hours**

 **Location: Watchtower Infirmary**

After maintenance crew 510 were successfully rescued, there was a minor uproar among workers and the rookie superheroes, especially when rumors spread that a Thanagarian shuttle was what passed them. Luckily, four of the seven founders are present and they were able to calm the brewing mayhem. Now, Superman and Wonder Woman are patrolling the entirety of the Watchtower to prevent any potential outcry. Flash and J'onn are in the infirmary with Marshall and Fayth to reassess them.

"Are you sure it was a Thanagarian shuttle and not just any other ship?" Flash questions. Fayth explained the situation to the Founders while J'onn tried to examine Marshall, who was nearly catatonic.

"Even after the Thanagarian invasion, I was – still am – mesmerized by the designs of Thanagarian architecture and their armada. So I've studied up on all things Thanagarian and I recognized the shuttle. It looked exactly like the one that came to my town during the invasion. I don't think neither Marshall nor I could _ever_ forget what it looks like." Flash and J'onn exchange looks before J'onn turns back to Marshall, now recalling what he had read in both of their files. During the Thanagarian invasion, Marshall was one of the few men in the town to have tried to stand up to the invaders and was taken in. No one really knows what happened to those taken in by the Thanagarians, but some, such as Vigilante, commented that they were humiliated.

"But why would they be coming back now? I mean, we destroyed their bypass and Shayera said she's not associated with them anymore," Flash mutters to himself.

"It won't help Fayth nor Marshall if we continue to think over it. Fayth, you are free to stay if you wish, but you are cleared."

"Thank you. Please let me know when Marshall is okay," she requests. J'onn nods and she exits the room.

"Hey, J'onn." No response. "J'onn?" He taps on his shoulder. "Everything okay?"

"Just thinking over the possibilities. Marshall's mind is a maelstrom of agony right now. I'm curious as to what the Thanagarians did to him."

"Has Shayera heard what happened?"

"I don't think so." J'onn glances over to the clocks in the room. "It's nearly five in the morning in New York right now. But we have to let her know. There is bound to be accusations spreading that Shayera is responsible for this shuttle." Flash frowns, a certain Themysciran popping up in his head. "Yes, especially her."

"I'm pretty sure they patched things up after that whole Tartarus thing."

"And yet, we're both thinking about Diana."

"For all we know, some whole other species coulda stolen that ship. We should head out there, find the location of where the ship crashed, and then see if it's even related to Shayera before we jump to any conclusions," Flash reminds him. After all, he and J'onn were the two that fought to keep Shayera a part of the team.

"You're right, Flash. Let's go check where the ship landed and then we'll go contact Shayera."

Flash grins and is out the door first, heading straight for the central communications area. As J'onn leaves, he feels something tugging on his cape. "Please…I won't do it again. I don't wanna. Please stop!" He turns around to see Marshall looking at him in fear. "Please, no, not that. Anything but that!" As J'onn reaches out to him, Marshall collapses back onto the bed. After a while of tossing and turning, he closes his eyes completely and enters a fitful sleep.

Wanting to help Marshall, J'onn hesitates as he puts his fingers on the man's head. A person's mind is their home and it would be rude of him to barge in. Torn between his options, he pulls away. It's not right for him to do as he pleases and as much as it pains him to leave Marshall to suffer, he also doesn't want to do anything unless he receives permission from Marshall's family at least.

He leaves the infirmary, still conflicted over the situation with Marshall. But he knows there is a much more pressing matter. The Thanagarian shuttle. Could it be an omen for yet another Thanagarian invasion? A Gordanian invasion? Or could it be someone with a personal vendetta against Shayera or Earth?

J'onn can only hope it's none of those options.

A few moments later, J'onn and Wally are tracking the pathing of the shuttle. "Did ya find it yet?" Flash asks J'onn for the sixth time in the last minute.

"Not yet," comes the stern reply.

"Come on, we've been following its path for the past…" He pauses to glance over to the clock. "…five minutes and you're telling me we couldn't track it anymore? Do we even know where it crashed?"

"It flew somewhere over the eastern side of the United States and I'm trying to minimize the search radius."

"Do you know the state, at least?"

"Somewhere in New Jersey." A ping interrupts their conversation. "It's somewhere in _Blüdhaven_." Before J'onn even finishes saying the location, Flash is on the teleportation deck.

"Tell any backup you send me that I'll be surveying the area! But first, I'm gonna head over to GL and Shayera and let them know what happened!" With that, the Scarlet Speedster beams out. J'onn barely misses a beat, contacting Diana and Superman to let them know the updated news. Determining that it would be better to limit the information, J'onn promises himself to only include the Founders and anyone outside if deemed necessary.

J'onn frowns as he minimizes the search area in _Blüdhaven_. It's not completely accurate, but J'onn recognizes this area of _Blüdhaven_ as the territory of _that_ mercenary. J'onn makes a mental note to inform the others. He can only hope that Slade didn't recruit whoever or whatever it is that was in that shuttle.

* * *

 **Time: 0500 hours EST**

 **Location: John Stewart's Apartment**

"Shay! Open up! John? Anyone? Please tell me you guys aren't…" The door opens to reveal a topless John Stewart with a pair of boxers on. "Oh my God, you _were_ , weren't you?" Flash gives his best friend a shit-eating grin and John only scowls.

"Wally, do you even realize what time it is? What's so important that you had to–"

"A Thanagarian shuttle passed by the Watchtower earlier and we're gonna go check it out. And by we, I mean the Founders because we don't want the others to start having a biased mindset about Shayera again. And it's somewhere in _Blüdhaven_ and–"

"Hang on, Wally. Say that all again. Slowly," Shayera requests from behind John. Wally's shit-eating grin comes back momentarily when he notices she's wearing John's bathrobe.

"A Thanagarian shuttle passed by and landed somewhere in _Bludhaven_. J'onn said Diana's gonna meet us there and maybe Batman too to help us. We don't wanna involve anyone outside the original seven because we're worried about…ya know…"

"What are you talking about, Wally? Paran Dul told me that Thanagar was completely overtaken by the Gordanians. There's no way a shuttle would be here now."

"How'm I supposed to know? It was just a typical day – well, night – at the Watchtower when a maintenance crew reported an incoming shuttle. It just zipped on by and it's here now. We're going to go check it out right now."

"Let us come with you."

"That was the plan," Wally nods. "I'll wait for you two to get dressed and we'll head over there together."

* * *

 **Time: 0530 hours EST**

 **Location:** _ **Blüdhaven**_

Diana is kneeling, inspecting the crater when Flash appears by her side. "Any clues?"

"Not yet. I checked the shuttle, but there was nothing in there except this." Diana holds up a small scrap of cloth, but Flash blinks several times as he struggles to focus on it. "Is it affecting you too?"

"Yeah, it's kinda hard to see it clearly," he replies, picking it up and holding it in his palm. The cloth's color shifts to red as it blends in with his costume. "It's like a…chameleon cloak!"

"That's one way to put it," Shayera observes as she and John lands behind him.

"Do you recognize it, Shay?"

"It's part of a cloak specifically designed for another division on Thanagar. These soldiers were trained to perform the darker tasks that helped Thanagar function."

"You mean…assassins?" Flash asks. "This is kinda like that one game franchise!"

"But didn't you say the division you were in did that stuff?"

"Espionage did some of the same things, but the assassin division killed without hesitation. These soldiers had blood on their hands at a much earlier age than most of us. I didn't…" she trails off, thinking back to her first kill. "I didn't kill until four years after I joined the Espionage wing. These assassins began killing from the moment they set foot into that field."

A chill runs up Wally's spine. "So that's the kind of person we're dealing with?" Shayera nods.

"So a much worse version of you," Diana speaks up, crossing her arms.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Shayera growls. Flash and Green Lantern exchange exasperated looks. It seems Diana still harbors some pain from the invasion.

"Nothing, but if you're saying these Thanagarians are so twisted, then why didn't they send one of them to Earth? You make them sound heartless and emotionless; I'd bet that mission wouldn't have failed if they had sent one of the assassins."

"The Elders chose someone from Espionage – me – because they didn't want me to kill anyone while I was here on Earth," Shayera explains. Before their little verbal altercation can continue, Shayera hears a beeping from behind. She turns around and her eyes widen when she realizes the source of the noise. "John! Try to contain the blast. Wally, Diana, get away!"

Without even asking, John creates a bubble around the shuttle as the other three clear from the area. Even with John's will, the blast breaks through the barrier and pushes him off his feet. When the smoke clears, the shuttle's parts are scattered all over the area. "Damn! Someone must really not want us to find whoever this is," Flash mutters.

"We'll have to pull back and figure out what our next step is," Diana begins.

"Just give me some time. I can figure out where this person went."

"Shay, if this Thanagarian is as good as you say they are, there might not be any tracks to follow."

"We won't know unless we try!" she defiantly counters, looking around. John looks at Flash and Wonder Woman, silently urging them to head back first.

They nod and call for transportation as John walks over to Shayera. "Look, Shay."

"You don't trust me, do you?"

"Of course I do! It's just…if they hear you were searching on your own, they'll think you're setting up another invasion."

"Yeah with the ghosts of Thanagarians," she sarcastically mutters.

"Look, I understand why you wanna search, but it's not a good idea. We'll ask Batman and Superman to search for us. Batman's one of the best of the team so we should have faith in him."

Shayera stares at the remains of the shuttle before relenting with a sigh. "Fine, but if they find anything, I better be the first to hear the news."

John smiles, shrugging. "We'll let 'em know." The two call for a teleportation and are soon enveloped in the familiar blue light. Once the area is clear, a figure appears.

"The heroes have left."

"Good, it wouldn't do for them to find Kenra already. Return to base."

"Yes, sir." The figure disappears just as quickly as they had appeared.

* * *

 **Time: 0800 hours EST**

 **Location: Kenra's bedroom**

Kenra's restless sleep is interrupted as Deathstroke knocks violently on her door.

Her eyes slowly open as the incessant noise continues. "Your training begins in an hour. I expect you to be in the training room by 0900 hours sharp…or else." After a few seconds, she finally sits up. The memories she dreamt of are still fresh in her mind and she rubs her face vigorously. She looks at the room, now getting a chance to see it fully.

It's rather small, but she's slept in tighter places. There is a wooden desk to her left, placed under the lone window in the room. A dresser is next to the desk and a mirror hangs on the wall by the door, which is front of her bed. She climbs out and looks at herself in the mirror. She frowns; when was the last time she truly slept? Her tired, heterochromatic eyes stare back at her. She had received both green and black colored eyes from her parents, being one of the few genetic gifts she had been given from her parents. The other being her fiery-red hair from her father. Her left hand moves up to her face, slowly running over the three-clawed scar on her left eye. At least this doesn't hurt anymore.

She rubs her face again and turns back to the desk. She opens the window slowly, careful to not upset the branch and the nest resting on said branch. She stares at the nest, absentmindedly observing how different that family is from hers. Where there is love and compassion from these birds, in her family, it's only training and more training in hopes of being that one factor that could end the war. She scoffs. Shayera _sure_ was that one factor that ended the war.

She grabs her mask resting on the table and slides it on, recalling how she has been taught that it is one of the long-standing traditions for Thanagarians to wear masks when not with close relatives or their betrothed. They were to not show their face to anyone else and being unmasked in front of anyone outside of that circle was deemed dishonorable and shameful. The humiliation was almost equivalent to death.

She pulls out her cloak and wraps it around her, putting on a pair of elbow-length fingerless gloves. Once the gloves are on, she slides on her armbands. She flicks both her wrists and sharp daggers shoot out of both armbands. They slide back in as she checks her equipment. She readjusts the black and yellow breastplate and pulls on her black boots. Once that is completed, she clips the scabbard of her treasured Nth metal sword onto her belt.

She swings open the door and heads over to the training room. She _will_ get her revenge. No matter what the cost.

* * *

 **The majority of this chapter remained the same because I wanted it to establish the Hol family and reiterate that Shayera is still not trusted. More noticeable changes appear depending on the focus of the chapter.**


	3. Friends

**This is a personal favorite of mine, especially when rewriting it.**

* * *

 **Time: 1000 hours**

 **Location: Training Room**

Kenra blinks rapidly, trying to expel the sweat that had fallen into her eyes. She lies spread-eagled on the ground, panting and gulping for air. Her ribs are bound to be bruised from today's fight.

"Get up, Kenra." She grits her teeth, already sick of hearing this man's voice, as she stands up. It's been two days since Wilson had "rescued" and taken her in and it doesn't seem like he intends to let her actually rest at all. Any time she wasn't sleeping or eating, she would be fighting him. Although it's interesting to learn a new fighting style – well, fighting styles, since Wilson seemed to be adept at a plethora of them – she still wishes she could take a break.

Even on Thanagar, she was allowed to breathe. Is Earth that much different? She thought the intel was that Earth was much weaker compared to Thanagar. And yet, this one human is proving everything Shayera had reported wrong.

Her thoughts are interrupted when Wilson feints a left and uppercuts her. She lands on her back a few feet away and darkness starts to creep in. "Get up, Kenra. You still have much to learn." Was everything she learned on Thanagar for naught? She employed almost every hand-to-hand tactic she was taught and he easily countered it. Could he be…? She pushes herself up again, clearly much less composed than before. She charges at him and he easily dodges to the side. She falls forward and pushes her legs upwards, her feet swinging towards his face. He moves his head away and grabs both her legs. He pulls her off the ground and she flails, trying to regain the momentum.

"Did you really think-?" his question is interrupted when he drops her. He bends down and clutches his left thigh, blood seeping out from under his fingers. Kenra somersaults away from him, one of her daggers dripping with his blood. She flicks her wrist and it goes back into its sheath. She tries her best to slow down her breathing so as to show she's not too exhausted. She's not going down until she beats him.

"Well played, Kenra. I take you realized what the real goal was."

"There's no such thing as playing dirty," she replies. "It's merely using everything you have to your advantage. You never really said that this would be hand-to-hand. I just assumed it would be since you didn't have any weapons on you." Despite her bravado, she lets out a shaky breath. She wasn't sure if she had even cut through his skin; it felt like she was scraping against armor. What _is_ this mercenary?

Wilson chuckles. "And here I was worried you would never get to fight her."

"Excuse me?"

"Another pupil of mine. The Ravager." At that moment, someone drops down behind Kenra. She swings out, but whoever it is had ducked. She curses when she realizes she had left herself open. The new opponent, she assumes is the Ravager, kicks her in the chin. It seems her jaw is the favorite victim of the day. She flies to the side, her right arm landing awkwardly and she lets out a hiss of pain. She probably sprained her wrist as well now. She sits up, looking at the Ravager. Unlike Wilson, the Ravager's left eye is concealed and their mask only hides the top half of their face. Long white hair flows out from under the mask and Kenra realizes that Ravager is a female.

"Aren't you a playboy?" Kenra mutters under her breath as she waits for Ravager to make her move.

Ravager pulls out her own sword, ready to battle Kenra. Kenra smirks as she unsheathes her sword. Wilson steps off to the side – completely ignoring his wound – and focuses solely on the two women. Kenra is about to move forward when Ravager beats her to the punch. She lurches towards the assassin, catching her by surprise. Kenra narrowly blocks the sword swing at her neck and she staggers, barely keeping her balance.

"That would have been rather disappointing if you didn't block that," Wilson comments. Kenra glares at him, still trying to push Ravager back. Kenra tightens her grip and sparks start lighting up on her sword. Ravager's eye widens briefly and jumps away, glaring at Kenra.

Kenra relaxes her grip and the sparks disappear. Once gone, Kenra rushes forward at Ravager herself. She falls to her left and ducks away from Ravager's swing, ending up behind her opponent. Ravager pivots and faces Kenra, who is caught by surprise. She is mid-swing when Ravager blocks the swing and wrenches the sword from Kenra's hand.

Ravager, left open from her move, smirks, expecting Kenra to tackle her. Instead, Kenra flicks her right wrist and swings the hidden dagger at her. Ravager brings her arm up and catches the blade between her fingers, gripping Kenra tightly.

Kenra curses under her breath as her mind races to figure out how to counter Ravager. She mutters something under her breath and folds her wings around, closing the gap between her and Ravager. Ravager is caught off guard, accidentally wrapping her sword hand around Kenra. Kenra then headbutts Ravager, who finally releases her grip on the dagger. She staggers back as Kenra charges forward. She tackles her and the two roll around the floor for a few moments, trying to gain leverage on the other. Ravager finally shoves herself away from Kenra and lands on her feet. Kenra runs for her sword and picks it up, the two face-to-face again.

She tightens her grip on the sword again as electricity shoot out from the blade. Ravager is undeterred, still staring at the Thanagarian and challenging her. The two rush at one another and exchange several more swings before they both step away, trying to find weaknesses.

Kenra grits her teeth, blood dripping down her cheek. She notices that they are both slightly out of breath. The next clash is most likely going to end the fight. Ravager shifts slightly, exposing her right side. Kenra pauses, unsure if she's baiting or if she really doesn't notice it.

Oh well, Kenra muses. Who is she to ignore such an easy targ-

Ravager suddenly disappears from Kenra's vision and the next thing she knows, someone hits her in the back of her neck. As she slowly blacks out, she hears Ravager finally speak, "For the record, I'm his _daughter_."

* * *

 _She slowly sat up as vertigo hit her and a wave of nausea came. She started gasping for air and clutched her head in pain. Soon, both the nausea and her sickness cleared. She slowly looked around, recognizing the field of grass that surrounded her. The cool breeze blew in her face and rustled the grass. She saw the Academy a few ways away, indicating that she was out during break. Kenra placed a hand under her chin in confusion, trying to recall how and when she fell asleep out here._

" _Kenny?" She felt a hand on her shoulder and she stiffened when she recognized the voice, albeit a bit higher-pitched than normal. She slowly faced the direction the voice was in and her eyes widened momentarily when she made eye contact with sea-blue eyes. "You okay?"_

 _Her mouth moved, but couldn't find the words. "Great job, Fray. You broke Kenra," another voice commented from behind the boy. She glanced behind him and her eyes expanded even more when she saw three more figures looking at her. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she blinked them away._

" _I…I'm fine," she told them. They all looked at her skeptically, but they soon drop the subject and returned to whatever they were doing. Kenra then remembered what they were doing out here. She didn't want to stay inside for their break so she had dragged her friends out to the fields near the Academy. As long as the people in the Academy could see them and they could see the Academy, they were allowed to go as far as they wanted._

 _The wind picked up again and she closed her eyes as she let the cool wind blow over her. She smiled; she had forgotten what this felt like. "Hellloooooo. Thanagar to Kenny. She there?" She opened her eyes and leaned backwards momentarily because a hand was dominating her vision. She followed the hand to its body and she tilted her head._

 _The boy's face was masked, just like any other Thanagarian. She did see him once without his mask a few years ago, but she rarely talked about that moment since he had been unmasked forcefully in front of her. Even so, she remembered seeing wind-swept black hair and his sea-blue eyes. He also had a slightly crooked nose, which he had said was due to a fight he had gotten into in the slums when he was younger. The boy was Fray Katal, the very first friend she had made after the day she lost her parents. They had met in the "Orphan Room" as most called it and she wouldn't talk to anyone at first, not even the Elders._

 _Fray was the first to break through her walls. He had even defended her from the untactful questions the Elders asked her. She was startled out of those memories when she felt Fray shaking her and calling her that damn nickname again. She brushed his hand off, "Stop calling me Kenny. I'm too old for that…" claimed the twelve-year old girl._

" _Kenny…" Fray began, completely disregarding her request. "You're still only twelve. I mean, most of us are already thirteen and you're still twelve. We're not even close to graduating from basic training." Kenra scowled and Fray sat in front of her, debating over something. "Tell ya what? If you can graduate with marks higher than me, the great Fray Katal, then I'll stop calling you Kenny and I'll let you call me whatever you want and I won't even complain. But if I beat you, then I get to call you whatever I want for the rest of our lives."_

 _With that comment, they both caught the attention of their three friends._

" _I think Kenra has a chance," Halima Azi began, nervously rubbing her fingers on the page she was reading. She had shoulder-length, wavy black hair, grass green eyes, and was a year younger than even Kenra. Kenra smiled at her friend, grateful for her support._

 _She could always trust Halima to be there for her. She had also been another factor in helping Kenra break out of her shell._

" _Aw, come on," Fray whined. "Who do you think's gonna take it, twins?"_

 _The one lying on the ground with his eyes closed pursed his lips. He opened one eye lazily and yawned. "I think Fray's gonna win," he mumbled. Kenra recalled that he had blond buzz-cut hair and dark, droopy eyes that always threatened to close…just like now._

" _All right, Manu's on my side! Tiebreaker! Kakra…?"_

 _His twin sister, Kakra Runi, glanced up from the book she was intently reading and shook her head at her friends. "Does it really matter, Fray? It may be a big deal now, but it won't be such a big deal by the time of graduation." She moved her long, blonde hair back so it fell between her shoulder blades and her dark, alert eyes shifted upwards to look at Fray. "But do you think you can beat her, Fray? She's from one of the most decorated families after all." Kenra's head dropped down as Kakra's words sank in. She hated it when anyone referenced her family. Could she ever be judged without being thought of as a Hol? She wanted to accomplish the tasks because she was Kenra, not because she was Kenra Hol. She wanted so badly to drop her last name; she didn't ask to be born into the Hol family._

 _She had barely passed the entrance exam the year before and many of her instructors believed it was a fluke. One particular instructor had even offhandedly questioned whether she really was a member of the Hol household or if she just forged her papers. She fell back onto the grass, spread-eagled, and let out a sigh of frustration. Now she wished she and Fray had never made that bet._

 _Before her parent's death, she wanted nothing to do with the army nor the war. But afterwards, she swore on her parents' graves that she would do her best for them, but it's difficult when there was so much pressure on her. "You know what, we'll see what happens when that day comes," Fray began, shrugging his shoulders. He leaned back and planted his palms behind his back, looking up at the sky. "You might be right, Kakra. We'll probably all forget about this by the time those exams come." Kakra stared at him intently before deciding to return to reading her book. Manu had fallen asleep and was quietly snoring while Halima closed her book and focused on sketching with an odd expression on her face._

 _Kenra rolled over to her side and looked at her friends fondly, grateful for the peaceful moment, before redirecting her focus on her fellow orphan. He always seemed to jump to her defense if anyone tried to say anything negative about her. Even when it would have been more prudent if he didn't, especially if she was at fault for something. And yet, he would step in and end up joining in on any reprimanding she received. She's grateful for it, but she was curious why he would continue to do so._

 _Could it be…?_

 _She blinked, shaking her head. Impossible, completely improbable, no way, nope, there was no way "the great Fray Katal" could possibly be attracted to her. He heard her movements and he glanced over. She closed her eyes, pretending to nap. After a few seconds, she slowly peeked open an eye and noticed that he had shifted his attention upwards again._

 _She continued staring at him, still trying to talk herself out of the possibility that Fray did like her. After all, he cared about everyone. There wasn't anything special about her. And yet…a part of her_ did _want him to reciprocate her feelings…_

* * *

 **Time: 1800 hours**

 **Location: Kenra's bedroom**

Kenra lies stock still, trying to determine where she is. The cold wind blowing on her face tells her that she's currently unmasked. She feels a compression wrap on her right wrist, recalling what had happened. She tries to push herself up, but the discomfort in her sides flares up and she starts gasping for breath. Bringing her left hand to her jaw, she winces from the stinging feeling. Butterfly bandages adorn her arms and face and she feels another compression wrap on her left ankle, wondering when she had twisted her ankle today.

It must have been when she was knocked unconscious by…She scowls. That girl…Ravager, was it? She had claimed to be Wilson's daughter. She snorts, she can see the resemblance now that she thinks about it.

She tries to move again and is greeted with a near blackout as she gasps for breath yet again. It looks like she'll just have to lie there for another few hours if she doesn't want to pass out from the pain. Lying there, her mind begins to wander back to her memories. Her eyebrows furrow in frustration – these memories _have_ to stop. They're starting to become a hindrance to her training; she can't focus on the fight in front of her if every little movement her opponent makes reminds her of her friends. Kenra clenches her fist, trying to force the memories down.

It's almost ironic, really. In order to avenge her friends, she has to forget about them. Even after all those years of training in the Assassin division, it looks as though she still has much to learn.

She'll have to ask Wilson for advice on how to suppress unwanted memories. Something about the way he carries himself tells her that he has had a rather remorseful past. Perhaps he can help her with her problem. Otherwise, there's no way she'll be able to kill _her_.

She abruptly sits up, wheezing. She clutches her side in pain, trying to calm her body down as she strains her ears. She could have sworn she heard something. Grabbing the crutches conveniently placed to her left, she hobbles over to the side of the door as quickly as possible. She forgoes the mask; her life is more important than a Thanagarian tradition at the moment.

The thin stream of light under the door disappears as a shadow steps in place. Kenra's sways awkwardly, her left ankle and right wrist both demanding attention from her. Whoever is outside seems to be enjoying tormenting her. Time seems to freeze as the doorknob turns in an agonizingly slow motion and she starts to lift up the crutch in her left hand. Never let it be said that an injured person with crutches can't break a bone.

The door abruptly swings wide open, nearly smashing into her face. She hops backwards on her right foot and applying unexpected pressure on her wrist. She bites back a scream as she presses her body up against the wall, waiting to see who the newcomer is.

A man in a black suit steps in, pushing a serving cart with a plate of food and utensils. He barely even looks around, seeming to ignore the fact that the occupant is missing. He pulls out a piece of paper and writes something on said paper. He sets the utensils in their positions, pauses, and resets the knife and fork for Kenra. He leaves the cover on the plate and places the piece of paper on the cart before walking out and shutting the door behind him. _Click_.

Kenra waits for a few, tense minutes before warily creeping towards the cart. Her eyes quickly scan the note.

 _Ms. Kenra,_

 _Master Wilson told me to make this for you so you can replenish your energy for tomorrow. He wants you to spend the rest of the day to recuperate. He will see you tomorrow at 1200 hours sharp._

 _Wintergreen_

Curious, Kenra lifts the cover off the plate and sends a puff of steam into the air. Her nose twitches as she inhales the smell of freshly cooked steak. A piece of baked potato wrapped in aluminum foil complements the cooked, medium-rare steak and side of broccoli. Her stomach growls loudly as she feels her mouth salivating at the food. This is only her second time eating steak, the first time being the day before for dinner after her training. She was hooked immediately. She smiles, noticing that Wintergreen remembered her request for some steak sauce. She pours it out onto the plate and starts digging in.

On Thanagar, soldiers rarely got to eat such fanciful meals, let alone assassins. They were the ones that suffered the most for the Empire, in Kenra's opinion. She grimaces, remembering her final test before she could officially declare herself a Thanagarian Assassin.

She had been going over her equipment in her room when a note was slipped under her door. She read the assignment and hesitated for a moment. Rule 1: Do not hesitate. The mission was to kill Halima Azi's father because he had been leaking confidential information to the Gordanians in return for riches. She wasn't too sure about the information, but it was her final test and this information is normally very accurate. No matter how much a part of her wanted to question and protest, deep down, she knew this was not a lie. Additionally, she had always been taught to never give mercy to traitors, regardless of their motives.

She left almost immediately after receiving the mission. She managed to enter his study room at home and waited for him. A clean cut to his jugular vein had finished the deed in less than ten seconds. She had slashed a little bit too deeply and the blood had sprayed all over the walls, but it could be passed off as an amateur attack from behind from one of his enemies. An accomplice in the illegal transactions was already prepared to take the blame whether he'd like it or not. It was killing two birds with one stone.

Death was instant.

Or so she had thought.

As she pulled away, Halima's father dropped to his knees and tried to stem the blood flow instinctively. She stepped into his vision, feeling oddly obligated to let him see who had killed him. She was unnerved by the intense gaze he held on her, even as he bled out.

With his dying breath, he whispered to her to grab a piece of paper off the table as if he knew she would be here today. She almost dropped her weapon in shock as she skimmed the letter. Rule 2: do not believe the enemy. Despite that, she found it difficult to disregard the letter detailing the horrifying truth that Kazti Azi had been blackmailed to do what he did in order to protect his family, specifically Halima.

The Empire had labeled him as a traitor and she followed what they had claimed. But in her heart, she knew she could never call him that. He was a savior in her eyes. Even now, she would have done the same thing he did and despite her past five years of training, she began to regret her actions. Rule 3: Never hesitate or regret your decisions – when you do, it's over.

Killing a traitor to the Empire was one thing, but when the lines began to blur…that was make it or break it for an assassin. The top assassins needed to have either nerves of steel or were near emotionless. They had to; otherwise, they would go insane. It didn't help matters when Kenra went to report the completion and the commanding officer congratulated her, defaming Kazti in the process.

She was sworn in afterwards and given her first official assignment. She did her best to not have a mental breakdown then and there, knowing she had to be strong – not just for her, but for Halima as well. She was told she would have the next 24 hours to herself, but she must begin the mission once it's over.

She was plagued by nightmares of bloody smiles for the rest of that night.

She ran into Halima the following day and she hesitated in telling her friend about what happened. Rule 4: Everything is confidential and on a need-to-know basis. Before she could tell her friend, a scout came by and handed a slip of paper to Halima. Halima let out a scream of agony when she discovered that her father was dead, not knowing that her father's killer stood right in front of her. Kenra couldn't do anything to comfort her friend.

Kenra pauses, swallowing the last remnant of her steak. Great, she had gotten lost in her memories again. Maybe if she reminisces enough, she'll stop thinking about the past soon enough, she dryly muses. She twirls the fork in her hand, thinking about her friends.

The five of them were so close, the army threatened to separate them should their friendship come in the way of their "education." Instead, one of the Elders decided to allow them to form a team of five just after their graduation from basic training. They were inseparable from then on.

Her heart twists in pain when she recalls her friends' deaths. She shakes her head violently, trying to rid herself of the images trying to worm their way into her mind. She didn't want to relive that memory. Not yet. She doubts she could handle that heartache again. She hopes she won't have to relive it ever again. But she knows she will soon enough.

She sinks her face into her hands as she forces the images of her friends' bodies out of her mind. She wants to forget everything. She doesn't want to live in the past anymore. It's like the dreams are trying to tell her something.

She grabs at her hair. If she kills Shayera, she won't have to deal with the pain anymore. She repeats that mantra in her head several more times to ease the pain.

 _If she kills Shayera, the pain will go away_.

She wants to forget everything.

A bitter chuckle sneaks past her lips and soon she is laughing hysterically with anger and pain.

If her _sister_ had never helped destroy the hyperspace bypass, she wouldn't be in this position. She wouldn't have resorted to these measures. None of those countless Thanagarians would have been killed.

Her precious friends would still be _alive_.

She looks over to her sword. One of the last pieces of Thanagar. One of the last remnants of her life on Thanagar when she was happy with Fray and her friends. But it was all ripped away from her because of Shayera. It's _her fault_ that her friends are dead! It's _her fault_ that Thanagar had fallen! If she hadn't fallen in love with a _human_ …if she had remained faithful to Commander Talak…

With cold determination, she glares at her clenched fists. No more sentimental thoughts. No more lingering in the past. She doesn't care if Shayera Hol is all she has left for family. Hell, Shayera could be _the_ last piece of Thanagar and she wouldn't give a damn. She _will_ kill her. After all…

 _If she kills Shayera, her friends will finally be able to rest in peace_.

* * *

 **Time: 0900 hours**

 **Location: Watchtower**

Shayera can feel it, the same accusatory glances tossed her way that she felt when she first rejoined the team. Rumors had already started spreading that the shuttle was somehow associated with her. She hates it. How many more times must she prove herself?

The shuttle was their only lead and it had self-destructed. While the Founders believed in her – Diana a little less than the others – the other heroes are a completely different matter.

"Why isn't she locked up?"

"Shouldn't they be keeping her under house arrest?"

"She should be monitored right now."

"They should kick her out of the league. That way, we won't have any problems."

"Yeah, but if she's kicked out, she'll be able to do whatever she wants."

Shayera scowls. Why did she think it was a good idea to come up to the Watchtower today? She could have told J'onn she wasn't feeling well or something. He probably would have understood.

"Hey, Shayera!" She stops when she hears a familiar voice.

"Wally!" she responds as the fastest man alive is by her side. "I'm surprised you're up so early."

"Aw, come on! I can wake up early when I need to, especially right now when–" He pauses. "Uhh…"

"Wally…what's going on?"

"Nuthin'," he mumbles, realizing he'd messed up.

Shayera sighs. "Please tell me you're not supervising me because I might be a danger."

"No! Of course not! I was actually here to meet up with you so we could head up to the main deck! J'onn said he might have some more info!" Shayera immediately feels guilty for accusing him, but a part of her is still unsure if he's telling her the complete truth. Wally must have sensed her uncertainty and he slouches slightly, sighing. "I just don't want you wandering around the Watchtower on your own right now. There are rumors going around right now…"

She gives him a grateful smile and hugs him. "Thanks, Wally." She pulls away. "C'mon, let's head over to J'onn."

* * *

" _Excuse me_?"

"…We think it would be best if you either stay in the Watchtower or-"

"I heard you the first time, Superman. What makes you think I'm going to accept this?"

"Look, none of us are happy about this…But it's the best course of action until we know what's going on!" Shayera glares at Superman, a strong urge to bash his head in with her mace. Flash places a hand on her shoulder and she's grateful that he and John are here for her.

The trio are facing Superman and Wonder Woman while Martian Manhunter monitors the various channel feeds on the deck. "Did you even put it to a vote?"

"Majority decided that you should be monitored," Wonder Woman answers, crossing her arms. Considering the current situation, she can figure out who was the majority.

"What happened to second chances and friends?" Shayera growls at Superman, who remains expressionless.

"We have to look at the big picture, Shayera. No one knows what was in that shuttle and if it's linked to you. I don't want you getting hurt if you're alone!"

"Do you really think I can't take care of myself?"

"If you're here, at least we can protect you from any-"

"Some of the heroes here already think I'm responsible for what happened. And nothing's even _happened yet_. What makes you think I'll be safe _here_ where barely _anyone_ believes me?" Superman hesitates and Green Lantern steps in.

"Look, how about she stay at my place?" Shayera is about to argue, but she notices the look on his face. "As long as one of us is there to keep an eye on her, then she doesn't have to stay here. We can see if there's anyone else available that has a neutral opinion on this whole situation to help."

"I don't believe this!" Shayera shoves Green Lantern and Flash out of her way, leaving the platform. As she stomps through the Watchtower to her room, her mind is racing.

 _So they're just going to cage me in like a bird?!_

 _They don't even believe me!_

 _They're not taking anything I say at face value!_

… _So much for my second chance._

She enters her room, making a beeline for her bed. She sighs angrily as she sits down. How is she going to convince them? Should she even bother? She had thought that the team could trust her now after everything she's done. But it seems old wounds are beginning to reopen yet again.

* * *

 **Time: 1500 hours**

 **Location: Kenra's Room**

Kenra flops down onto her bed, breathing heavily. Sweat is still streaming down her face and she roughly takes off her mask, tossing it onto the desk. She pushes aside her hair, which had been sticking to her face. Her chest continues heaving as she tries to slow down her breathing.

Her wrist doesn't ache as much, but her left ankle is still swollen. Wilson had promised that he would go easier on her today, but… "Easier, my ass," she scoffs. There is _nothing_ easy about sparring with a highly-paid super mercenary and his daughter.

She had thought her training in both Basic and her focused field was difficult, but this training has taken the cake. At least she was learning more than she had ever hoped for. After all, she's not used to nimble and small opponents. Growing up fighting big, awkward lizards and her fellow soldiers won't benefit her when she takes on this so-called Justice League.

Wilson had told her that the people in this "league" varied in sizes and race. So, while this training was near torture, she'll be grateful for it in the very near future… _when_ she's standing over Shayera's cold and bloody corpse.

She sits up, looking at her hand. "I swear…" she whispers, clenching her fist. "I swear I will avenge you. Mother…Father…I won't be a disgrace to the Hol household anymore. Halima, Kakra, Manu…Fray…I'll make her pay for causing your deaths. I hope you can forgive me for not being strong enough to protect you all. But don't worry…I'll get stronger…and I'll get my revenge… _I promise_."

* * *

 **"Never let it be said that an injured person with crutches can't break a bone." will always be a bittersweet sentence for me. But I just couldn't delete it. It provided just the right amount of humor for the story.**

 **Update on my progress, I've started Chapter 9 so the updates should hopefully be weekly. If not, bi-weekly. Worst case scenario, you don't see another update for another year haha**


	4. Little Hawk

**Meant to update yesterday, but got caught up in the excitement of a wedding the entire day.**

* * *

 **Time: 1800 hours**

 **Location: Kenra's Room**

"Thank you, Wintergreen," Kenra nods her thanks to the butler.

"You are most welcome, Ms. Kenra. Do you need anything else?" She shakes her head.

"No, I'm fine."

"Very well," Wintergreen bows and exits the room without another word. Kenra lifts up the cover, her mouth salivating at her dinner. Today, it's a simple plate of spaghetti with meatballs. She begins to dig in, grateful for the food that Wilson provides.

She pauses to take off her mask before she resumes eating. Halfway through, she stops as her hand absentmindedly trails the scar on the left side of her face. Her mind is taken back to the final invasion…when she had lost everything.

* * *

 _Kenra frantically ran around the city, helping civilians escape from the Gordanians. She could feel it. Today was the final day. Today was the day Thanagar would fall to the accursed Gordanians. Survivors will be taken in by the Gordanian Empire and forever forgotten. Kenra wasn't sure if it would be better to die fighting or be enslaved by the Gordanians in all honesty._

 _Kenra also wondered if the rumors were true. Was the hyperspace bypass truly destroyed? Did her sister, her own flesh and blood, really terminate it? Was she truly responsible for the mission failure? She heard her fellow soldiers claiming that she had fallen for a human that caused her to change her beliefs._

 _But was that really the story? "I don't want to believe it…" she muttered to herself as she ran to a young Thanagarian. She helped her up and directed her to the bunkers where the escape ships were. The child thanked her before sprinting away. She prayed that the young girl would be able to escape._

 _Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a pair of Thanagarians cowering in fear. Her heart leapt into her throat, realizing that they were the caretakers of one of the nearby care centers. Did that mean…? She forced the thought from her mind and pulled her sword out. The Gordanian raised his axe, ready to decapitate them._

 _Kenra intercepted the blow, blocking the swing. She gritted her teeth, both surprised and thankful for her sudden burst of adrenaline. But she staggered slightly; the axe was_ heavy _._

 _She mustered all the strength she could and pushed the axe away, causing the Gordanian to lose his balance as well. She raised her sword and decapitated him before he could do anything further._

 _She breathed heavily, turning back to the two she had saved. "Get to the escape pods! Now!" They got up and were about to run past her before stopping._

" _Look out!" Kenra turned back around and narrowly dodged a spear. She slammed her sword down onto the shaft as it passed her and head-butted the Gordanian. It is ineffective and the Gordanian swatted at her mask, forcing it off her face._

 _She shook her head and barely gets refocused when the Gordanian swung his claws at her face. She moved backwards, but the left side of her face erupted in pain. She blindly swung her sword and managed to cut across the Gordanian's abdomen._

 _As he stepped back in pain, Kenra glanced behind to see the two caretakers still standing there. "Get out of here! I'll be fine!" With her command, they regained control of their body and took off away from the battle._

 _She turned back to the Gordanian, experimentally twirling her sword. The two charged at each other and Kenra dodged the spear thrust again, hopping onto the shaft. She pushed herself up, twirled around mid-air, and decapitated the Gordanian before he even knew what had happened._

 _She landed on her feet, flicked off the excess blood on her sword, and sheathed it as she looked around for her mask. She grimaced in pain, remembering about her injury. She brought her hand up to her face and it's immediately soaked in blood. "Have to get out of here…" She picked up her mask and slid into a nearby house. She checked her weapons and mask for damage and wiped away the blood._

 _Realizing that the blood doesn't want to stop any time soon, Kenra dug around her medicine pack for some gauze and tape. Placing the gauze pad on her lap, she pulled out a bit of the tape and cut it with her teeth. She wiped away the excess blood and placed the pad over her eye. She taped the pad into place. She cautiously placed her mask back onto her face and sidled out of the house, looking around._

 _A large shadow fell on her and she tucked and rolled away from the house just as a multitude of blasts hit the house. She unsheathed her sword, ready to take on the three Gordanians landing in front of her. Suddenly, someone flew past her and disemboweled all three of the Gordanians. She blinked, wondering who it was and her heart leapt into her throat when she realized who it was._

 _Fray was there in front of her, but he was bloody and bruised. A part of his mask was chipped off, showing a tuft of his hair. "Fray? What are you doing here?" she asked, sheathing her sword._

 _He turned back to her with a lopsided grin, "Hey, I'm the hero. Heroes gotta save their damsels in distress, ya know?" She glared at him; although, it probably wasn't as effective since it was only with one eye. Fray's grin disappeared once he noticed the gauze through her mask. "Kenra, what happened?"_

 _She looked to the side, suddenly interested in the Gordanians' corpses. "I…It's nothing."_

 _Fray walked to her, placing his hands on her shoulders in comfort. "C'mon, don't pull the shy act on me now. We're all fighting for our lives right now and I need ta know if you're okay," he pleaded. She slowly turned back to him and ducked her head down, giving him the okay to remove her mask._

 _Once he does, his face contorts into rage. "Fray, I was trying to protect the caretakers. I let my guard down and the Gordanian got me at that moment. I'm okay. Don't worry," she attempted to placate him as he put her mask back on._

" _Still…" He hesitated, looking up behind Kenra. "What's up?" he asked as Halima and the twins landed behind her._

 _Kenra winced, taking in the bloodied and injured states of her friends. "Fray, a large battalion of Gordanians are heading to the Academy," Manu reported, a hint of fear in his voice._

 _Kenra realized with a start, "But that's where-!"_

" _We'll just have to go and keep them out," Fray announced. "Kakra, call in more soldiers to gather at the Academy. We need as many soldiers as possible if we want our people to escape." Fray turned to Kenra. "You jump into a shuttle and get the hell out of here."_

" _What?" Kenra couldn't believe it. "Let me stay and help!"_

" _It's the final assault," Halima began and guilt washed over Kenra as she remembered her final exam. "We might not be here after today, but if anything…we'd want_ you _to survive. Help everyone else escape and then go too. Fly to Earth. Your sister should still be there, right?"_

 _Kenra nodded, despite herself. "But I still want to help."_

" _Then help us by going to Earth. If we die, we'd rather die knowing you escaped from this forsaken place," Halima explained, sorrow all over her face. Kenra stood there, not knowing what to say. She wanted to say something, anything…but her throat constricted. Halima moved towards her and wrapped her friend in a tight embrace and Kenra hoped that her words – her apologies – could be said through the hug. Halima was the first to pull away and looked Kenra in the eye. "Don't worry, Kenra…I…I know what really happened to my father." Kenra's heart stopped beating for a moment. "And I'm…glad it was you. It was better that it was you than anyone else…Because I know…you honored his death. Like a true assassin."_

 _Kenra froze. She…she knew? She knew and…didn't blame her for it? Tears began brimming from her eyes as emotions began to overwhelm her. Halima looked like she wanted to say more but her gaze fell onto Kenra's ears before looking away. She abruptly pulled away and Kenra hesitated, wanting to tell Halima more. But Halima gestured to the twins to allow them to have their moment with Kenra._

 _Manu, whose physique was larger than Fray's, wrapped his arms around Kenra, enveloping her. "I'm gonna miss ya, ya little sneaky," Manu dropped one of Kenra's many nicknames in hopes of getting a smile. He stepped back and let his older sister have her moment._

" _Little Hawk, she flew away from her nest, finally able to embrace the peaceful sky. She flew away, knowing that she will one day be reunited with her friends and family again…" Kakra muttered into her ear. It was a story that Kakra had been told by her mother when she was younger. By now, the tears have started falling down. She sniffled; she always loved hearing that story. It always promised great hope for the future. Kakra broke away from the hug, allowing her to face Fray. Her friend, her teammate…her betrothed. She felt cold, refusing to accept the possibility that she may not see him again after this moment._

" _Fray…" Her voice broke as she tried to stifle her tears, clenching her fists. This wasn't fair. All of her friends had resigned themselves to their deaths while letting her escape…to a planet that was probably no better. She tried to find her voice again when she felt Fray's arms envelop her. "Fray…I don't…I don't want-"_

" _It's ok, Kenra. We'll see you again…I promise." She burrowed her head into his armor as she let the tears fall freely. Screw Thanagar's customs. There were times when the soldier persona can and should be dropped. And this was one of the moments. Eventually, Manu stepped in and interrupted what was the final embrace._

" _W…we gotta go. B-before it's too late," he reminded them, his voice breaking as well._

 _"Fray…" she attempted again as he pulled away._

 _"Don't worry, Kenny," he smiled sadly, calling her by her endearing nickname. "We'll see you again." He turned towards their friends. "Let's kick some Gordanian asses!"_

 _The four flew into the raging war as Kenra gathered her bearings. She wiped away the tears and followed after them, charging into their last battle as a team._

* * *

 _The battle was long fought, when finally, only Fray's squad of 5 was left amongst the horde of Gordanians. Blood was streaming down Halima's face as she gripped her Kamas tightly. Her body continued to sway, ready to attack or defend at any moment's notice. Manu and Kakra were back-to-back as they faced off their own crowd, ready to move. Fray was standing over bodies of Gordanians, waiting for the enemy commander. Kenra continued to fight her own group of the lizards off in the distance, blood continuing to rain down on her. "Come at me, you assholes!" Fray roared at the commander._

 _He only growled in response. Fray flew headlong towards the commander, readying his battle-axe. As if waiting for him to make a move, the Gordanians around his friends immediately surged towards them. Halima gritted her teeth, bouncing up and down as she waited for the opening. She darted towards the closest Gordanian, slashing him in the neck as blood spurted upwards like a fountain. She used his body as a springboard and continued her deadly dance of decapitation. Manu blocked a Gordanian before it could do any harm and Kakra decapitated it as the twins continued their fight in this manner._

 _Kenra bumped herself against the wall, her wings compressed. She cursed, wondering how she managed to get herself into this position. Her cloak was torn at the bottom, and parts of her mask had already begun to chip away. Her sword arm was tingling with pain – the Gordanians must have coated their weapons in some sort of poison. She switched her grip on her sword, holding it up in front of her. Her arm shook as her right arm hung limply at her side, having been clawed at by the Gordanians. She flew up as she sheathed her sword, pulling out a small, dark, and round object. She pressed a button and flung it towards the small mass of Gordanians. It hit one of them in the head and they all vaporized within a second._

 _She barely registered their deaths before her focus is redirected to a nearby situation. Two children were cowering in fear as a Gordanian slowly trudged towards them. "Halima!" she exclaimed, noticing that she was the closest to the kids._

 _Halima sprinted towards the Gordanian and threw one of her kamas directly at the Gordanian's back. She pushed off from the ground, tucked her wings in, and landed on his shoulders. She wrenched the kama from his back as it roared in pain._

 _The Gordanian tried to lash out, but Halima cut across his abdomen and he crumpled to the ground instantly. She commanded the kids to escape as more Gordanians began to flock to their area. Kakra and Manu flew up to hold off the ships that were beginning to advance upon the Academy. She, Fray, and Halima stayed on the ground to fight off the ground troops. Kenra headed to Fray to try and assist him, but a Gordanian blindsided her. She rolled away as her mask slid off her face, skidding away from her._

 _She landed on her left side and her eye pulsated in pain. She curled up, pressing her palm against it to try and suppress the pain. She cursed, pushing herself up and brandished her sword. The Gordanian laughed at her mockingly and she growled at him, surprising him. The feral gaze froze him in place and before he could react, Kenra leapt forward and cut straight down. Blood showered her as she stepped back. She grabbed her mask, slipped it on, and froze when she saw Halima's position._

 _Halima had flown up into the air to try and get some advantage, but the mass of Gordanians were relentless. All she could was raise her weapons up in defense. "Halima! Watch out!" Her friend barely had time to react when a Gordanian snuck up on her. She released an ear-shattering scream as he stabbed her in her wings, electricity coursing through her body. Momentarily paralyzed, the Gordanians saw the opening and shot her with a concussion blaster. She jerked once and instantly began to fall. Kenra sprinted forward, hoping to catch her friend. She called her name out in anguish as Halima landed on the ground, blood pouring out. Kenra stopped short of her friend's corpse, her mind refusing to accept Halima's death. She'll be ok, this is just a long nightmare._

 _Her legs buckled and she collapsed next to her friend, her eyes trailing on Halima's earrings. Before she could do anything about it, a rumble brought her back to the cruel reality._

 _She heard Manu yell something and saw the twins tear their way through at least six of the smaller ships before facing the largest of the fleet. Kakra yelled something to Manu and he looked at the ship, using his keen eyes to look for the weakness._

 _Right as Manu reported the location to his sister, the ship's weapons had finished charging up. It rolled slowly, pointing at Manu. The energy beam flew towards him and Kakra shoved him aside, taking the brunt of the attack. Kenra's heart leapt into her throat when she saw blood spurting out of Kakra's mouth and nose._

" _Sister!" Before Manu could do anything, the ship's weapons shot at him as well. He shuddered once before he began to slowly fall as well. With their last breath, the twins threw their weapons directly under the main cannon of the ship and the ship immediately exploded, sending rubble flying everywhere._

 _Kenra buried her head in her hands into the ground, tense and waiting for the splattering noise that would accompany the twins when they land. Off in the distance, she heard the sounds of their bodies hitting the ground and she immediately began wailing in anger and frustration. Only Fray was left, and this time, she's not losing him. She clutched Halima's hand, squeezing it tightly for a moment. She looked up; her eye red with the tears rolling down her cheeks. She tightly gripped her sword and pushed upwards, flying into the battle with Fray._

* * *

Kenra is torn from her thoughts when she hears a rough knock on her door. "Open up, Thanagarian," a feminine voice demands. Kenra jumps off her bed and cautiously opens the door, instantly on the defensive when she sees Ravager. Ravager pushes past Kenra and sits down on the bed, something in her hands.

Kenra grabs her mask and is about to slide it on when she hears Ravager chuckling. "Please, I've already seen what you look like under that mask. Is there really a point in wearing it at this point?" Kenra places her mask on the table, glaring at Ravager.

"Then why are _you_ wearing one?" Kenra asks, crossing her arms over her chest.

The girl pauses before smiling mischievously again. She tugs off her mask, long and wavy white hair cascading down her back. There is an eyepatch over her left eye and Kenra almost flinches. So this girl has scars as well…"Touché, Thanagarian." She haphazardly tosses the object at Kenra who instinctively catches it, hearing rattling.

"What is this?" she asks, looking at the label. "Meto…pirone?"

"It's a medication for those that keep having memories replaying in their mind…" She trails off, the unspoken "like you" hangs in the air around them. "Daddy wanted me to give this to you. He said that if you keep living in the past, you're not going to be able to fight."

"I didn't know he cared," Kenra comments, still reading the instructions.

"Daddy just doesn't want you ruining the plans. Speaking of which, he's giving you your first mission later tonight." Ravager stands up, heading out.

"Wait," Kenra begins, surprised to see Ravager actually stop. "What's…your name? Your real name?"

After a long pause, Ravager begins, "I'd prefer if you called me Ravager. Daddy wouldn't like to see us so buddy-buddy." Kenra is about to say something, but she interrupts her, "But my real name is Rose. Rose Wilson." With that, Ravager leaves the room.

Kenra stares down at the bottle again, deciding that she'll only drink it when needed. She finishes up the rest of her dinner and begins preparations for her first mission.

* * *

 **Time: 2300 hours**

 **Location: Kenra's Room**

"Ready?"

Kenra clips her sword onto her belt and clasps on her cloak. "Of course I am."

Wilson hands her two bags, one empty and one heavy, "One of them is to put the money in. Your mission is to rob this bank: JP Morgan Chase & Co. Failure, of course, is _not_ an option. I highly doubt you need an explanation as to what will happen should you fail. Remember, your primary objective is to be clearly captured on camera and then finish up the robbery with a literal 'bang." Do _not_ fail me."

Kenra stares him down. "I won't."

"You better not. But just to be sure, I'll be having Ravager accompany you." Kenra notices the momentary surprise on Ro- Ravager's face. "If she decides that you might compromise our mission, she will step in and stop the League and you two will make your escape. Understand?"

"Yes, Daddy," Ravager replies, bowing slightly.

"Now, do you know why I want your face to be captured on the cameras?" Wilson asks, redirecting his focus onto Kenra.

"With this mask, I look almost exactly like her. When the police and the League look over the footage, they'll assume that I'm Shayera. When the doubt starts building up, there'll be an opening for me and that'll be my chance to step in and finish her."

"Excellent, but remember, focus on this mission first. We'll take care of the aftermath _after_ this mission. Remember, Ravager will be nearby to make sure everything goes smoothly. We're both watching you, Kenra."

"I'm ready when you are," Ravager notifies her, all notions of a young adult gone. In her place is the Ravager.

Kenra closes her eyes momentarily, slowly inhaling and exhaling. She opens her eyes again, no emotion showing. The assassin is all that's left. "Let's go."

* * *

 **I couldn't figure out a way to remove the cheesiness so I hope y'all aren't too lactose intolerant kek. Also, it seems that Kenra and Rose are already butting heads...hmmMMmmmMmm...**


	5. Robbery

**Nothing like lying in wait to commit a robbery to allow some "villains" to bond together.**

* * *

 **Time: 2350 hours**

 **Location: across JP Morgan Chase & Co. Bank**

"I still don't understand why Daddy wanted me to go with you," Rose complains, examining the sharp and gleaming blade in her hands. She is leaning against the ledge besides Kenra, nonchalantly trying to get under her skin. Kenra ignores her as she keeps her focus on the bank across the street, examining it for any open spots to escape if the plan goes wrong. "I mean, really…you must not be a good assassin if _I_ have to come along."

"If Wilson wants us to work together…we can't exactly defy him now, can we? _You_ can't step too out of line since he's your father, am I wrong?"

Rose visibly bristles, setting her katana down as she faces Kenra. "I'll have you know that I've disobeyed Daddy's orders several times. I'm not just some obedient daughter that'll jump however high he wants me to like _you_ probably would if your parents told you."

Kenra lets the insult roll off of her, although she grips the ledge tightly. "Whatever he thinks, if he wants you to come along, then you have to. If he considers me incompetent, then let him think that. I'm only working with him in order to achieve my goal." She turns to Rose, looking her straight in the eye. "Once I've accomplished it, I'm leaving."

Rose sneers, about to say something, but Kenra is already looking away. She wins this time…

* * *

 **Time: 2351 hours**

 **Location: Watchtower**

"What was the incoming transmission?" Superman asks, entering the main deck.

J'onn turns to him, "It was an anonymous tip that there are going to be robbers at the JP Morgan Chase & Co. bank at exactly midnight. I've already notified Wonder Woman and Flash. I'm trying to reach Green Lantern right now."

"Do we really need four Founders to come and stop a robbery?"

"I'm not sure; I just have a bad feeling about this…"

Superman, knowing that J'onn very rarely speaks about a bad feeling, nods. "All right, I'll see them at the teleportation pads."

"Be careful, Superman."

* * *

 **Time: 2354 hours**

The awkward silence between the two women is interrupted by a long, consecutive beep coming from Kenra's right wrist. She double taps on the comm's screen and a holographic image of Wilson's head appears. "What's the problem?" Kenra asks.

"There's been a change in plans. The League knows our plans and they've sent a group to investigate. You will have to alter a bit of the plan."

"Who's coming?" Pictures of the heroes appear, replacing each other before refocusing on Wilson. "That many?"

"This _is_ a rather famous bank…What do you want us to do then, Wilson?" Kenra wonders why the League would send four of their Founders to stop a measly robbery. Could it be…? Did they know the full plan? Are they planning to capture her?

"I want you to light half of the explosives and toss it down when the heroes appear," Wilson begins, redirecting Kenra's focus. "The explosion will cause them to be shaken, take the opportunity to rush in, steal the money, and leave. Avoid confrontation if necessary. But, if you must, then do so. Rose will decide whether or not she intervenes or not. The rest of this plan is depending on you, Kenra. Whether we fail or not…that's up to you." With that, the conversation disconnects.

The two women stare at the comm device for a few more moments before Kenra stands up, grabbing the two packs. "What are you doing?" Rose asks as Kenra stands up. She strides back as Rose sits there, interested.

Timing herself, Kenra abruptly darts across. As her right foot touches the ledge, she pushes upward, her left knee jutting upwards as if it is hitting someone in the face. She slowly loses altitude, and her wings unfurl from underneath the cloak. She glides across, relishing in the feel of the cold wind whipping around her. She always loved the feeling. A spark appears in her mind, reminding herself that she has a mission. She _cannot_ afford to make a mistake, or be distracted by memories. Especially being distracted by memories, considering how she seems to have such an episode every few hours. She touches down, nodding to Rose that she is safe. Rose positions by a stone gargoyle, waiting for the next move.

Kenra crouches down just as a streak of red and blue appears alongside a woman dressed in blue, red, and white. Superman and Wonder Woman. Kenra spots a red streak speeding across the river before stopping beside the two. She listens in carefully, still hidden from the heroes.

"Who even called you to tell you, Supes?" one of the three asks.

"I'm not sure, but this is a bank that garners a lot of money. We need to be alert should anything happen." A brief pause. "Where's GL?"

"I think he's still talking to Shay."

"Who's still talking to Shay?" a new voice asks and Kenra scowls, resisting the urge to look over the ledge.

"How is she?"

"She agreed to house arrest and Batman's keeping surveillance on her from his place," the new voice reports.

"So there's supposed to be a robbery? I don't see anything wrong," the first speaker observes.

"Keep an eye out, Flash. You never know where the attack could come from," the only female voice reminds him. Suddenly, Kenra's right forearm starts shaking, indicating that it's her watch. She taps the screen once and takes a deep breath. It's time.

She removes half of the dynamite from the duffel bag, lights it, and throws it over the ledge. Kenra perches atop the very edge of the roof, watching the dynamite's descent.

Superman is the first to notice. "Bomb!" He immediately covers Diana, due to his durability, and Green Lantern is able to throw up a force field to protect him and Flash. As smoke envelops the area, Kenra free falls towards Superman. At the very last moment, she spreads her wings out and uses the abrupt altitude to land onto Superman's back. The landing pushes him towards Diana and she uses him as a springboard, leaping away. She flips around and charges at John the moment his shield drops.

Kenra punches Green Lantern in the stomach and then delivers a karate chop to his back as he instinctively curls up. She glances to her side and notices Flash struggling against a bolo wrapped around his legs. Rose must have launched it.

She charges into the bank, immediately incapacitating the two guards in the room. She unsheathes her sword, activates the electricity mechanism, and delivers three consecutive strikes against the metal. It stood no chance. She swiftly swipes all the money in sight, filling the bag in mere seconds.

With her job complete, Kenra hefts the bag over her shoulder and steps out of the bank. Luckily, years of training has taught her to be a very cautious woman. As her feet step over the threshold of the entrance, she automatically ducks to the side as Superman's fist flies by her. She steps away, finding her back against the wall. Brief flashes of the war pass through her mind and she grimaces, hoping Rose didn't see her moment of hesitation.

As the four heroes zero in on her, tentative recognition dawns on Wonder Woman, then Flash, followed by Superman, and finally Green Lantern. "Shayera?" Wonder Woman struggles to form the words. Flash staggers backwards as John freezes up, shock on his face. Superman doesn't move from his spot either, trying to understand the situation as much as he can. Kenra smirks, waiting for an opening.

"Sha-" A smoke bomb lands between them and Kenra growls. _Remember the mission_ , she chides herself. She flicks her wrist, her hidden dagger shooting out. Her eyes search for the glowing light of Green Lantern, but she grits her teeth. _Remember the mission_. She flies out of the smoke and leaves the area with Rose.

By the time the heroes recover their bearings, the pair are long gone.

* * *

 **Time: 0005 hours**

 **Location: Green Lantern's Apartment**

Shayera shoots up from her lounging position, a foreboding feeling suddenly in her stomach. She had just finished watching the highlights of a boxing tournament and the boxer she was rooting for had lost. Her house arrest had already left her in a sour mood and Pacquiao's defeat didn't help at all. Her eyes scan the room, her body tense with anticipation.

After a few more apprehensive moments, Shayera slightly relaxes and flips through the channels. Maybe there's something on that'll explain or help her anxiety. "…Shayera Hol." She freezes, flipping back to the channel.

"Are you sure it was her?" a dark-skinned reporter asks, sitting in the TV station room. On the right side is the on-site reporter, her blonde hair swaying as she nods. Behind her, the JP Morgan Chase & Co is sealed off with police caution tape with the four heroes inspecting the area.

"Yes, based on camera shots that the police have reviewed, our only guess can be Shayera Hol. We're unsure if she's returned to a life of crime because the Justice League has refused to comment. For now, we will have to get updates as they go along. But we all must be careful. After all, Shayera Hol played a significant role during the infamous Thanagarian Invasion. She had been the one that-" Shayera refuses to listen longer, turning off the screen and punching a nearby pillow.

The short-tempered alien leans back into the couch, her hands covering her face as she tries to slow down her breathing. There's no point in being irrational in this situation; it'd just make matters worse. She leans forward, her mind working a mile a second to logically piece this together.

She had been here the entire night with John. Even though he had to leave to investigate the anonymous tip, Batman is still observing her. She glances briefly to the "clock" mounted on the wall over the television, knowing Bruce is watching her from there. Aside from that alibi, she also has no motive whatsoever to perform this act. She's a superhero! There's no reason for her to suddenly rob a random bank!

 _Tap, tap._

Shayera jumps up from the couch, ready to fight. Once she locates the origin, she walks over to the windowpane despite her better judgement. She sees a falcon on the windowsill, tapping its beak against the glass. Without a clear reason, Shayera lifts the window up to allow the falcon in. It steps in cautiously and flies past Shayera onto the coffee table.

She inspects the bird, noticing a three-clawed scar on its left eye and a crumpled piece of paper wrapped around its leg. She attempts to grab the slip, but the falcon screeches at her, taking off. It circles around the room, dodging Shayera's attempts to grab it. "Hey! Don't do that!"

Eventually, the falcon lands on the top of the television. Shayera cautiously approaches it, and this time, the falcon remains in place long enough for her to grab the slip. As she removes the rope around the paper, she examines the scar more. Who would be so cruel to injure a bird like this? The falcon takes off, landing by the window as she unfurls the slip of paper.

She barely looks at the paper before her eyes widen, her heart tightening with fear, worry, and questions. So many questions. Her hands shake as the small and torn slip of paper slides out of her grasp. The falcon instinctively understands that its work is done. It leaves the apartment as Shayera slowly sits down on the couch, silent tears streaming down her face.

On the sheet of paper is a sentence. A sentence that Shayera had seen many years ago when she was still on Thanagar. A sentence that had not had as much significance to her then as it does now.

 _The honor of the Hol house will be continued in your stead. For the Empire._

* * *

 **Time: 0010 hours**

"Why didn't you let me confront them?" Kenra growls, her temper beginning to flare. Rose is running on the rooftops as Kenra flies besides her, the bag of money still in her arm.

"If you confronted them, you would have had no chance. It was you against four of the seven founding members of the Justice League. Even if I jumped in to help you, the two of us would have stood no chance."

"Don't you and your dad do this type of stuff all the time? What makes my situation any different from you?" Kenra questions. Rose refuses to meet the Thanagarian's unnerving gaze. Since Rose had first watched her train with her father, she had noticed that Kenra – for an assassin – walked a very thin line between anger and frenzied wrath. She had assumed that her father knew, but he was either oblivious or intentionally pushing Kenra towards the edge. He must want to see the world burn.

Rose pauses her thoughts as she leaps across to the next building as Kenra continues to mutter angrily under her breath. "Look, if you're still upset, you can ask Daddy when we come back. He was watching us the whole time and _he_ was the one that told me that we need to retreat."

"Fine," Kenra grunts. "But I almost had him." The fact that she was so close to stabbing John Stewart and watching him bleed out made her even more frustrated. She wanted to see Shayera _suffer_ for what she had done to their race. To- She shakes her head slowly as they arrive at the hideout. Rose frowns.

"What, having memories again? I thought you would've gotten over them already," Rose mocks her, putting a hand on her hip. Kenra glares at her, refusing to answer. What is going on with this human? Is she _trying_ to get herself killed? She turns away, nearly shoving Rose out of the way and heads in.

Rose stiffens. Some random Thanagarian with borderline PTSD is giving her attitude? _In her own home_? Anger starts to well up in Rose, but she forces herself to calm down. Soon, Kenra will get her little revenge and then she'll finally leave her and her father alone.

Kenra kicks a door open, fuming beyond words. Four heroes that are directly connected to her sister standing right there in front of her and she had the upper hand. She could have killed any one of them and then be on her way. But _no_ , damn Rose had to step in and force her to fall back. Kenra's rage peaks and her fist flies out, crushing the wall adjacent to her. She exhales sharply, her face still contorted in rage. Her fist leaves the indent as the plaster begins to crack and break around the hole.

"I'll get my chance…" she reminds herself. "I just have to be patient…"

She tenses up when she hears two sets of footsteps behind her. "Ah, Ms. Kenra. Are you heading to Master Wilson?" Kenra relaxes and faces Wintergreen and Rose.

Rose's mask is off, showing her lean face framed by her long, white hair and the white eye patch over her left eye. Kenra makes a mental note to ask about the wound later. Kenra nods as Rose scowls, noticing the cracks on the wall. "Was that you?"

Kenra shrugs, not even sparing a glance at her deed. "So? With all that money I just risked my life for, Wilson should be able to repair it without a problem."

"You don't know that! What if Daddy needs the money for something more important than a hole in the wall that _you_ made?"

Kenra bristles at Rose's tone, but Wintergreen steps in before the situation can escalate. "Now, now, ladies. Sheathe your claws, and let us go talk to Master Wilson. I'm sure we'll all understand his reasons after the report." The two continue to glare at each other quietly, sparks flying. Eventually, they simultaneously pull away as they let Wintergreen take the lead.

Wintergreen knocks once, hearing a gruff "Enter." He barely has the door open when both women stomp past him, matching each other's stride. When Kenra stops, Rose stops as well. Kenra tosses the bag at Slade's feet. "There, you got your money. Now can I go look for her?"

"And why would I let you do that?" Slade asks, striding into view.

"We've got the money. We should be able to continue with the next part of your 'master plan.'"

"We'll let you get what you want, but we have to take this slowly." Kenra growls, about to retort. " _Otherwise_ , this will all blow up in our faces. Besides, you're not ready to take on the League. You still need to train."

"I've done enough training, Wilson. I just went and risked my own life to get your damned money."

"And where are you going, exactly?" Slade asks, crossing his arms. Rose moves towards her, but one glance from Slade stops her.

"Back to my room. It's late after all. But later, I'll be going out. I would like to see what Earth is like." She shrugs dismissively. "Even assassins deserve a break." She shuts the door behind her, heading straight for her room. She stares at the empty cage on the desk by the window, and she sees a bird flying towards her. She pushes the window open, allowing the falcon to land inside the cage. It has a dead mouse in its beak and she notices that there is nothing on the falcon's legs.

"Good job," she whispers, stroking it softly on the head. The falcon allows her to stroke it for a while longer before it drops the dead mouse and devours it. Kenra fills up the beaker in the cage with water before opening up her closet. She changes out of her outfit into a plain gray T-shirt and black sweatpants, tossing the uniform onto the chair next to the desk. Wintergreen will wash it for her.

She places her hands on her mask, suddenly reluctant to remove it. She would never allow anyone outside of her friends and family to see her face, as Thanagarian customs. She finally pulls it off, her fiery-orange, shoulder-length hair barely undisturbed by the removal. A stray bang falls forward and she tucks it behind her ear.

She looks at the mirror as her fingers run along the scar on the left side of her face for the hundredth time. No matter how many times she looks at it, she'll never be used to it. Is this how Rose feels? She steps away from the mirror, confused by her line of thought. Why should she be concerned about Rose? The woman doesn't give a damn about her, so why should she?

She and her father are going to be out of her life soon enough. There's no point in worrying about her. But whenever she's had time to herself and she's not thinking about the past, Rose would be the first thing that creeps her way into her thoughts.

Shaking her head in frustration, Kenra lies down in her bed. Sleep is instant. After all, being an assassin can be hard work.

* * *

"I don't trust her, Daddy," Rose begins, crossing her arms as she looks at the closed door.

"You don't trust anyone these days," Slade wryly replies.

"Daddy, how can _you_ trust her? You normally don't trust people either!"

Slade walks over to his daughter, cupping her chin in his hand. "Are you jealous, Rose?"

"What?"

"Are you worried you're falling out of favor with me?"

"Of course not!" Rose steps away from Slade. "There's just…something off about her. I don't know if she's going to hand us over to the authorities or kill us!"

"She wouldn't dare try something like that. She's outnumbered and in unfamiliar territory. If she's smart, she'd be working _with_ me, not against me." Rose opens her mouth to protest and Slade scowls. "End of discussion, Rose. We have more important matters to attend to than your paranoia."

Rose reluctantly leaves, still unsatisfied with her father's dismissal. She hears the door open and turns around, seeing Wintergreen walking towards her. "Ms. Wilson, if you are concerned, I would suggest you talk to her. Communication is everything after all," he suggests before heading to his room for the night, leaving Rose alone in the hallway to contemplate on what he said.

She looks down the hallway to Kenra's door, thinking if she should talk to her. Then again, what's there to even talk about? They don't exactly have anything in common.

She's an alien, an orphan, an assassin, and has a scar on her face.

Rose is a human, is the daughter of a mercenary, an assassin, and lost an eye.

And yet, Rose finds herself standing in front of Kenra's door. She knocks quietly, expecting Kenra to throw a knife to "greet" her. No response. Rose steels herself, knocking a little bit harder and the door opens on its own. She pulls out her own knife instinctively should Kenra throw something. She waits several heartbeats before realizing that it is safe.

Rose slowly pushes the door, quietly making her way into the room. The moonlight illuminates most of the room and Rose's eye falls on the prone figure on the mattress. She's unsure why, but she feels compelled to walk forward even though Kenra could be completely conscious and ready to stab her.

She hears a sound and her heart almost leaps out of her chest as she backs up. All she can hear in the room is her own rapid heartbeat, but once it slows she realizes that the sound came from Kenra herself.

Rose, caught off guard, can't help but laugh quietly to herself. The Thanagarian before is peacefully snoring away, none the wiser that Rose is right there. Once Rose recovers, she looks down at Kenra with a mirthful look on her face. Who knew an assassin would snore?

She leans down until her nose is almost touching Kenra's, her hair cascading down above Kenra's head like a waterfall. She takes in all of Kenra's facial features, focusing first on the scar on her face, wondering how she had gotten the scar. She doubts she'd ever ask, however, since these types of wounds can be a sore subject. Rose finds her lips hovering over Kenra's and she hesitates.

Kenra suddenly groans, swinging her head to the side and nearly brushing her lips against Rose's. Rose shoots back up straight, her hands on her lips. What the hell had she been trying to even _do_? _Kiss her_?

"N-no…" Rose watches Kenra carefully. "I can't…not…allowed…" Kenra turns her body away from Rose, the blanket sliding down her shoulder. She must be having a nightmare, Rose realizes.

Once Kenra seems to have calmed down, Rose pulls the blanket back over the Thanagarian's shoulder while wondering what Kenra is dreaming about. Her eye catches a glint on her ear and notices the earring. Odd, she could have sworn Kenra was wearing a different pair when they first met. Ah well, there's not much she can do now since she's asleep.

She'll have to try again another day.

Rose leaves and heads back to her room; so much for a talk.

Back in Kenra's room, she opens an eye and smirks mischievously. Gottem.

* * *

 **I can't believe I put that word as the ending for the chapter. My friends encouraged me to do it.**

 **Anyways, the scene between Kenra and the Wilson household post-robbery changed slightly because _reasons_. Also yes, Kenra was one hundred percent awake; she just felt like pranking Rose.**


	6. Falcon

**I adjusted a few sentences here and there for the first scene and flashback, but for the most part, it is still S-Bumblebee's**

* * *

 **Time: 0300 hours**

 **Location: John's Apartment**

For the second time tonight, Shayera hears a tap at the window. The unimposing sound send her startled to her feet, wings drawn in and feathers ruffled, the piece of paper still clutched tightly in her talon-like hand. Her nerves settle when she sees that John Stewart is the culprit, the emerald hue of his ring holding him suspended by the pane of glass. Without hesitation, she moves to the window and hoists it up with a practiced move.

"John!"

"I don't want to hear it Shayera." His voice is heavy and thick and his eyes dart about the room as if he is looking for something.

It suddenly strikes her that John seems to think she had been the one to rob the bank, that she had been the one on the news…how could he think such a thing?

"Wait, John…" Her voice is now just as laced as his but hers is swamped in disbelief and mild desperation. How many more times must she prove her loyalty to the League and him…him of all people who knows her best. "You don't seriously think that was me do you?"

He flips around, eyes glowing bright with his anger as an accusing hand wildly gestures in an arc around him. "What do you expect me to think, Shayera?" He glares at her hotly. "It wouldn't be the first time you've broken our trust."

Her initial anxiety diminishes as it is outshone by her rage; how dare he accuse her when he knows better? It feels as though he had slapped her across the face.

"Fine! If you don't believe me, I'll leave!" she shouts, her voice easily gaining volume as it always did in the heat of battle.

"Not until you tell me what the hell you're doing!" He is in her face, right up in her grill, accusing her, rejecting her, making her feel smaller with every breath she took.

Shayera shoves him away with her palms, one hand still gripping the paper the falcon had delivered to her. "I don't have to tell you anything," she declares.

"Shayera, you can't just-"

"Can't just what, John? Tell you that I had nothing to do with that robbery and that I was here the whole time watching a boxing match? That Batman has been monitoring me ever since you left like we agreed? Of course not, that would be too hard to believe."

John does a double take as he catches a glimpse of the television behind her and the loose jogging bottoms and casual strap top she had on. He realizes that there was no way she could have beat him back here, she was fast but the ring made him faster, that and she'd never have time to change and hide her ill-gotten gains. And of course, the fact that Batman hadn't reported her missing at all since he left to investigate the robbery.

He takes a deep breath and allows his anger and fear to slide away. What is it about this woman that made him feel every emotion in the spectrum within a heartbeat?

"Shayera…what is going on?" His voice is calmer now, softer. Shayera seems to react positively to the change of tone as the anger falls from her eyes.

"I don't know," she replies nervously. "A falcon delivered this." She hands him the paper and watches him read the single solitary line.

"What is this?" he asks bewildered.

She sighs and lowers her eyes as she pushes her errant hair from her face. "It's the message I received the day my parents died."

* * *

 _The day had finally come._

 _Shayera Hol stood within the grand hall of the Elders, the oldest and wisest of their race, and slowly cast her eyes around the sights before her. Never before in her young life had she stepped within these halls and never before had she felt so small. The grand ceilings were high and richly decorated with runes and broken images, the years having worn them down and the battles having chipped them away. Shayera remained awestruck by the size and sight of the grand ceiling until she was startled from her reverie, her rank and runes having been called out._

 _As it were she stood amongst a crowd, every one of them having just passed basic training and were prepared for the next stage in their militant education. Like the others she had been looking forward to this moment her whole life, she was going to join the Hark'nvesh, her life's dream since she learned to fly. At the call of her runes she stepped forward and pushed her way through the bursting crowd, normally they were much more organized but on this occasion the halls were cramped. Besides her own group, there were several others spaced around, one of them in particular seemed to hold all of the youngest of their population. She glanced to them mildly as she walked past towards her destination, they were very young indeed. They had probably been left in the shelters by their parents or dumped in the academy. It reminded her of her own parents and the knowledge that they had left her here more than four years ago. She held her chin up._

 _"This way." The Elite Guard nudged her slightly with his looming spear. He was a huge bulk of a Thanagarian and was encased in the finest armor she had ever seen. The Elite Guard were composed of Thanagar's best, and were few in number, their only role to protect and defend the Elders at all costs._

 _Obediently, she stepped forward and continued to walk on as his heavy footfalls followed her. She could sense from his weight alone and the armor he carried that he wouldn't fare well in an aerial battle, but that was why they were armed with Great Spears. Their extended reach alone was enough to hold any enemy at bay whether on the ground or in the air._

 _At last Shayera reached the chamber of the Elders; a great door was before her that seemed too heavy to move. The two Elite Guards, not including the one that followed her, pushed it open without breaking a sweat, and Shayera walked inside._

 _The room was threatening and intimidating but Shayera had long ago lost her sense of fear, having had it beaten out of her during her relentless training._

 _Fear was for the weak._

 _Before her, many meters away, were the Elders. They led their race from a distance and had never in Shayera's lifetime, nor that of her parents, joined in battle. Despite this though, stories of them were legendary. The largest and oldest was said to have snapped the neck of a full grown Gordanian bull with his bare hands._

 _"Name."_

 _She wasn't sure which one had spoken but his voice boomed and bounced all around her, almost compressing her and making her feel as small as she likely was before the greatest of her people._

 _"Private Shayera Hol," she answered mechanically, eyes level, shoulders back, wings closed._

 _One of the Elders seemed to hum in acknowledgement._

 _"A Hol?" He paused before continuing, a clawed hand raking through his long grey beard. "Good Stock." He muttered to one beside him who sat with the only War Hammer Shayera had ever seen. The weapon had been phased out of their battle culture years ago for its clumsy nature but she didn't doubt for a second that in his hands, it was a truly terrifying weapon._

 _There was further murmuring as they took her into their consideration and talked amongst themselves. They had been informed of each cadet and their skills and abilities before her arrival. Everything they were about to tell her had long already been decided upon. Shayera only hoped that she would receive the answer she wanted when they asked her their inevitable question._

 _"Which militant division do you wish to contribute to, young Hol?"_

 _Every Cadet was given the chance to choose. At least that's what they had them believe. Again, their choice had long been made before this very moment._

 _"The Harkn'vesh," Shayera said quickly, her heart pounding rapidly. She was so close. Only a few syllables away and she could begin training with the best fliers of their people. She shivered in repressed excitement._

 _They eyed her carefully and were silent a long time as if they hadn't been expecting her answer. And then the silence was broken, a voice splitting through it like the crack of a plasma cannon._

 _"Your request to join the Harkn'vesh is denied." Shayera took in a sharp breath, their words cutting through her like an electrified sword and her dream shattered. She hardly heard their next words. "Your characteristics are better suited to other areas."_

 _At that instant her mind flashed through the other military divisions that were on offer, but none of them remotely triggered her interest. Shayera had had everything set on joining the Elite Flying Squads and to have been denied left her deeply unsettled. What was she to do now? Despite her inner turmoil however, she did not question their verdict. She could no more argue with them than she could a Gordanian, there would be no compromise._

 _"You will join the ranks of the Espionage wing."_

 _Unwittingly she raised an eyebrow. Espionage was perhaps the youngest branch of the military to date, younger even than the Elite Weapons division or even the Assassins. She was taught that the Espionage wing grew out of the Assassins Division when it seemed some missions were bloodier than it needed to be._

 _Left momentarily stunned, she didn't answer them. She stood fused to the spot as if she hadn't an idea where she was. It wasn't until the Great War Hammer scraped across the ground that Shayera shook herself back to her senses. She didn't utter a word; she knew she could never change their minds and that she was simply 'stock' for the army and nothing more. Before excusing herself she pressed her gloved fist to her armored breastplate as was respected practice, and left without a word, her Father's mace dangling at her waist and gently knocking her knee as she walked._

 _Past the highly decorated doorway and past the ominous Elite Guards, Shayera spied the group of cadets she had arrived with, Cadet Paran Dul walking towards her for her own verdict. Shayera didn't have to think hard to know where they would put her. She was one of the most scientifically intelligent of their graduation and she would be placed in that field without question. Fighting wasn't her strongest skill. Shayera simply walked by her without casting even a glance, the two never having seen eye to eye ever since they first met in the academy the morning after her parents left her there._

 _Wanting time alone Shayera decided that she would not linger with the rest of her comrades, instead she would return to her barracks and prepare her things for transportation to the Espionage Wing Division. As she walked through the crowds a messenger approached her and addressed her by her military rank and runes as was practice. Names were rarely used. Nodding her head to confirm her identity, he handed her a slip of paper that didn't seem out of the ordinary. Afterward he left her without uttering another word. Curious she unfolded the paper and read what was before her, eyes reading and re-reading the runes on the paper._

 _Her parents were dead, killed in battle as they fought to regain territory from the Gordanians._

The honor of the Hol house will be continued in your stead. For the Empire.

 _A frown marred her features although no one else could see thanks to her helmet. She wasn't sure how she felt about this, she hadn't known her parents very well and they were more like close strangers. She knew enough but not enough to feel as though she had lost anything._

 _As she folded the paper and slipped it into her armor, Shayera spotted the same group of young Thanagarians with panicked looks on their faces. Down the long hallway, she saw 4 burly Thanagarians sprinting towards them with someone lying down on a stretcher. "Out of the way! She's still breathing!" One of them yelled._

 _The 4 ran past Shayera as she glimpsed at the person on the stretcher. There was dark smudges layered upon her arms and her cheeks, her pants were slightly torn, and Shayera could tell that the young Thanagarian was on the precipice of life and death. There was something about the child and her mask, something about her appearance that struck Shayera as odd. She had seen several such incidents where the child had their home destroyed and barely survived, being carted off to the medical wing and then the "Orphan Room." But this person seemed unusual._

 _Shayera couldn't put her finger on it but the young girl on the stretcher seemed terribly familiar, something that struck Shayera as odd. She sifted her memory for someone who fit the likeness of the one she saw but although she could detect something, she couldn't pinpoint what the something was. The 4 rescue Thanagarians left the hallway and Shayera was shaken from her thoughts. After all it wasn't like she knew who she was._

 _She took a deep breath. Without looking back, Shayera Hol left the Great Halls of the Elders having entered as a graduated cadet and left as a recruit of the Espionage Division._

* * *

 **Time: 0400 hours**

"So what you're saying is...that kid you saw being carried off to the medical wing was…someone you knew?" John asks, carrying the two cups of coffee and placing them down onto the table with a faint tap.

"At the moment, I wasn't sure who it was. I mean, like I said, I found it strange that the person looked so familiar. Now that I received this letter, I think I know who it is," Shayera mutters, her head in her hands. To John, her voice sounded so defeated, as if she resigned herself to fate.

"Who was it?" John asks as a cold hand clutches his heart. Her next few words could spiral everything out of control.

Shayera takes a deep, shaky breath.

"It was my sister."

* * *

 **Time: 1500 hours**

Kenra narrowly dodges around a child, whom had been backing up to catch a ball from his friends. "Oh! Sorry!" he apologizes.

"It's okay, don't worry about it," she replies. The child refocuses his attention to his friends, running away from the tree Kenra is standing under. The shade from the tree allows her to slightly blend in as the leaves rustle above her. Kenra had been wandering the streets of the town since early morning. She likes to believe she had snuck out, even though Wintergreen was right in front of her. She had breathed a silent thank you to the butler when he literally turned the other way to allow her to pass. But she would prefer to say that she successfully snuck out of the hideout.

Now, she's relaxing at the park as children and their families gathered at the park. The chilly wind wraps around her, causing her to shiver uncontrollably. She tries to stop her teeth from chattering; she's been in colder places before. She refuses to move from her spot, suddenly lost in memory as she continues to observe the five children playing catch.

They remind her so much of her old friends… In another life…would they be standing where those children are?

One girl has black hair in a ponytail and a cap over her head, her emerald green eyes trying to intercept the ball. Kenra can easily see Halima in that girl's spot.

She officially met Halima when she appeared during Kenra's first year of basic training, only a few days after she herself had enrolled with Fray. According to the supervisors, her skills were exceptional and she deserved to be in the Academy as soon as possible. Apparently, that meant throwing an eight year old into the Academy. But that's what happens when you're the child of two highly-ranked and very decorated soldiers of the Thanagarian Empire. They were even higher up than the Hols. Halima had been distant to everyone in the classes and everyone assumed she thought they were beneath her. No one wanted to talk to her, but luckily, no one would try to bully her either. Kenra wasn't surprised when she found out that under that tough exterior, there was a girl that strived for acceptance and for friendships rather than expectations and the easy path. Everyone envied her lineage, but not Kenra.

Kenra was curious about this child prodigy and had invited her to a study session, hoping to find common ground with her. Even though she wasn't a genius, she hoped she'd find some sort of common ground with the younger girl. By the end of their first study session, the two were crying both out of empathy and happiness.

But Kenra smiles at the memory. After that day, Halima was no longer the quiet and obedient student. She started walking around the Academy with her head held high and her wings almost spread completely out. She's glad Halima was able to be more confident in herself ever since.

Kenra grimaces, remembering what she had done to Halima's father. She wasn't sure if Halima had ever fully recovered before their final reunion. There was so much that happened between the two of them…she never even told Fray about _that_. She scowls; both of them agreed to _never_ speak of it to anyone nor would they ever bring it up and she intends to uphold that promise.

Her eyes focus on a pair of twins in the group, one sister and one brother. The sister fumbles with the ball, pushing up her wide-rimmed glasses. Her brother yawns, catching the ball after she throws it. Exactly like the twins, Kenra muses.

Her first encounter with the twins was sometime after that. She was in the Academy's library, gathering books and papers before Halima arrived for another study session. The two had tried to get a book at the same time and Kenra, wanting to avoid confrontation, handed the book over to Kakra without a word. That piqued the intelligent Thanagarian's interest.

She had followed Kenra back to her study table and gave the book to her, explaining that she can live without it. Despite Kenra's protests, she insisted that she keep it for her studies since this would be Kakra's third time reading it. Kakra stuck around a bit longer, talking to Kenra and getting to know her.

Their nice bonding moment was ruined when Manu literally stumbled onto them, crashing onto the table and effectively burying the trio in books. The three were "politely" asked to leave and the moment they stepped foot out of the library, Kakra immediately reprimanded her younger twin brother. Kakra formally introduced him to her as he rubbed his head in pain. Manu would always get into trouble and Kakra had to step in and somehow bail him out. Manu had a similar philosophy to pre-Academy Kenra Hol, believing that the war was pointless unless they could get help from other planets. Kakra quietly scolded him and Kenra wouldn't find out why she was so angry until much later.

Their father had abandoned his team and mission, leaving them to die and consequently disgracing the Runi name. Kakra did whatever she could to try and regain the family honor, taking on the pressure of being the heir to the family and enduring years of abuse by other soldiers. Manu despised it all; but what he hated the most was that he could do nothing to help alleviate the pain for Kakra.

But once Kenra and Fray had befriended the twins, no one dared say anything negative to the twins' faces. It helped that both boys bulked up and grew largely through the years, intimidating almost everyone.

She sighs sadly, wishing that they were all still here. Great, she's getting even more sentimental now. Was this why there were so few females in the Assassins division? If she could recall correctly, she was one of five female assassins. She quickly rose through Assassin training without intending to and was projected to be the most infamous Assassin of Thanagar. She snorts; it's too bad she never got that opportunity now that Thanagar is gone.

As the children leave, she walks over to the playground and sits down on a swing. She is barely there for a few moments when two young girls walk towards her. One is clearly the older sister, dressed in a white polo and pleated skirt. The younger sister, probably only a year younger, is closely behind her. Kenra reluctantly leaves, not wanting to have a conversation with anyone at that moment. She glances back at the two sisters forlornly; could that have been her and Shayera? What would have happened if they had been born here on Earth? Would their family be together?

As she walks down the path towards a nearby coffee shop, her mind drifts once again to her first meeting with Fray Katal. She had just been recovered from the rubble of her old home.

* * *

 _Kenra winced, her entire body in pain. Wh…what was happening? The last thing she could remember was her parents screaming her name and then…pain. Her eyes fluttered open briefly before closing again. She forced herself to open them and looked around, feeling something next to her left arm._

 _She painstakingly tilted her head ever so slightly to see what it was and barely registered that it was her mother's body. Her eyes were open, unseeing, as blood ran down her face. Her arms lie in twisted angles and her wings were crushed by the rocks next to her._

 _She felt another presence to her right and slowly moved her head in that direction. She could now see the extent of the damage from the initial attack. Everything below his right leg was a bloody mess and his wings barely had any feathers left. He would have survived…had it not been for the sharp piece of ceiling that pierced him in the abdomen. Her entire right side was slick with his blood that had pooled around them._

" _Over there!" a voice yelled._

 _She forced her left hand upwards to make sure she had grabbed their attention. "H…help…" she uttered as she slowly lost consciousness again._

 _She suddenly woke up and her arm involuntarily twitched. Her eyes shot open out of reflexive pain and she gasped, sitting up and startled a few children that had been trying to inspect her. Pain shot up her spine as she slowly inhaled and exhaled to try and distract herself from the pain. She inspected her injuries as well._

 _She had a cast on her left leg and her right arm was in a sling. She felt some butterfly bandages on her face and her left arm. Her right leg seemed to be the only uninjured part of her body as she felt pain in her ribcage. It was most likely bruised._

 _A hand suddenly waved in front of her eyes and she blinked in surprise, almost punching the person. "Whoa!" He stepped back. "Come on, is that any way to respond to someone that's trying to see if you're okay? Speaking of which, are you okay?" She hesitantly looked at him, her voice refusing to say anything. She didn't know what to say so she looked back down, avoiding his gaze. "C'mon, I'm trying to help you here. But I'm not gonna able to do anything if you don't want to talk to me. I mean, I hear the Elders are gonna come and talk to you and I just wanted to prep you for it._

 _She hesitantly met his gaze again, fear welling up inside of her. The Elders were already going to talk to her? Why? She wasn't ready for this? Hell, she doubted she was ready for anything at this point._

" _What's your name?" he asked._

" _K…Kenra," she muttered under her breath._

" _What was that?" Kenra quietly repeated her answer, and this time, the boy began to show irritation._

" _Come on! I can't_ fucking _hear you! If you're a Thanagarian, you should be_ yelling _your name at me! I don't understand why you're so scared! He grabbed her by the shoulders and violently shook her._

 _The pain seemed to ignite a fire in Kenra. She shoved him away with both arms, ignoring the pain. "Leave me alone!" she exclaimed. He stumbled and fell onto his back. Before she could even start to feel bad for her actions, she heard him quietly chuckling._

 _He sat back up and Kenra spotted a faint grin starting to spread on his face. "Much better. Now if I could just get your actual name," he jokingly complained, standing back up. He held out his hand and helped her over to a nearby chair. As she sat there, her eyes swiftly scanned the room and observed the children. Some sat in stunned silence and some were openly weeping about their parents' death. Kenra blinked back her own tears, refusing to show weakness here._

 _Suddenly, the large, golden-hued door slowly swung open as the five strongest and oldest Thanagarians entered the room. Everyone was silent as the Elders strode in, their imposing gazes sweeping over every orphan._

" _We are looking for Kenra Hol," one of them stated. Kenra couldn't tell who it was, but his voice echoed loudly throughout the entire room. Fear struck everyone, but Kenra shakily raised her hand. Her entire body was trembling._

 _The Elders immediately zeroed in on her and she flinched at their unnerving gaze. "We have some questions to ask of you," another spoke up and Kenra couldn't stop staring at the scar over his eye._

 _She started to stand up, expecting them to lead her out but the one furthest in the back barked, "Sit down!" Her feet gave out and she collapsed back onto the chair, every fiber in her body screaming to run away._

" _We will be asking you the questions here. There is no need to take an adolescent to our chambers," another decided. Kenra's eyes darted around, praying someone would come to rescue her from this interrogation. Her mind wasn't ready to accept her parents' death and she doubted talking about it would do her any good._

" _You are Kenra Hol, daughter of Sergeant and Colonel Hol, yes?" She meekly nodded, avoiding their gaze._

" _Your elder sister is Shayera Hol, a new student of the Espionage wing, correct?" She looked up, surprised by that._

" _I-I'm not sure what her new p-post is," she stammered. "But…yes, Shayera Hol is my s-sister," she added as an afterthought._

 _Three of the Elders frowned and she took it as a bad sign, feeling herself sink lower into her chair. "Your parents were killed when a stray shot from the Gordanians destroyed the Hol home, correct? Your parents did not fight to the bitter end of the Empire, did they not? They chose, instead, to both come home for you and died trying to protect you instead."_

 _Kenra pressed herself against the chair, hoping that she could literally sink into the chair to avoid these questions. Tears welled up in her eyes again, praying for someone to step in and stop them. "Answer us, child!"_

 _Help came from an unexpected source._

" _I don't think anyone, not just children, would want to answer these kinds of question, sir. Could you at least ask them a bit more nicely instead of being so blunt?" the boy asked, stepping fearlessly between Kenra and the Elders._

" _And who are you, orphan?"_

" _Name's Fray Katal. I've been here since yesterday. But enough about me. Would it hurt you to not ask questions so directly? She just barely survived being crushed by rubble and her parents died right in front of her. At least let her accept it before interrogating her."_

" _Be quiet, you fool! Thanagarians are strong; they should not be faltering just because of a parent's death!" An Elder grabbed Fray by his shirt and tried to intimidate him._

" _Still, she just got released from the medical bay and you're already questioning her. What about all the other kids in here that want to get out of here? Some of them have been here for_ almost a month. _Besides, from what I heard, it sounded like you already knew the full story_ and _already formed your own opinions on the situation. So what was the point of this?"_

" _You insolent-"_

 _Another Elder stepped in. "Stop it. Instead of trying to reason with such a rebellious child, we will teach everyone here a lesson. I have an idea."_

 _A chill ran up Kenra's spine as she assumed something would happen to her. The Elder that had been holding Fray dropped him onto the floor, but he landed nimbly as though it was a practiced move. He stood defiantly in front of the Elders, his entire body daring them to make their next move. "Children, no…Thanagarians that disrespect Elders do not deserve a mask!" With that, the Elder stepped forward and grabbed Fray's mask. He ripped it off his face as time froze, all the children blinking in disbelief._

 _Thanagarians being unmasked in public were considered a disgrace. It was equivalent to an execution, especially if an Elder unmasked them. Fray stumbled back; his head almost bumping into Kenra's cast. The Elder holding his mask tossed it to the side. "Let that be a lesson to you…to_ all _of you." He redirected his focus onto Kenra. "You two will receive your dormitory numbers within the hour. We will allow you twenty-four hours for you to accommodate yourself, and then, we will see if you are ready to truly join the Academy." With that, the five Elders filed out of the room._

 _As soon as the doors closed shut behind them, Fray sat up with a grin on his face. "I totally showed them," he boasted, running his fingers through his hair. Satisfied, he slid his mask back on. He turned back to Kenra. "Feeling better?"_

 _Kenra stared at him in disbelief. Wasn't he scared that the Elders might come back and decide to kick him out of the Academy? Wasn't he worried that he would shame his deceased parents? She glared at him, anger welling up in her. "Aren't you worried?" she blurted out. No, she had to control her anger._

 _But his grin did not disappear. "About what?"_

" _That you'll be kicked out of the Academy and you'll be considered a disgrace to your family! They could come back and decide you're not worth their time and efforts! You could get placed in the slums, without any knowledge of how to defend yourself from the Gordanians!"_

 _His grin faltered and a serious look occupied his face now. "I've been in the slums for as long as I can remember. I know how to defend myself and I chose to attend the Academy to help others. I know what I'm doing so you don't have to worry about me. And I couldn't hold back when I saw them picking on you. That was wrong of them to do that, especially after such a traumatic experience. You get what I mean, Kenny?"_

 _She looked at him, confused. "What?"_

" _What, I can't give you a nickname? I mean, come on! Kenra seems too uptight, but Kenny makes you seem a lot more loose and relaxed! …Right?" The childish grin was back and Kenra could feel her lips twitch._

 _She smiled her first real smile in a long time, "Yeah!"_

* * *

 **Time: 1600 hours**

Kenra enters the coffee shop, the musky smell of the roasted coffee beans wafting towards her. She inhales it in with a slight smile. When she had first tried coffee with her breakfast, she loved it instantly. As she waits in line, she feels all the customers staring at her. She ignores them, continuing to stare ahead.

Luckily, Rose had makeup that she…borrowed…to help cover up her scar so it wasn't easily noticeable. "What would you like, ma'am?" the cashier asks once Kenra reaches the counter.

"A small caramel latte, please," she requests. They give her the receipt after she pays for the drink and she steps aside, allowing other customers to order. Her eyes focus onto a group of men in the corner of the shop, sensing their lecherous gazes on her. She pulls her cap lower to avoid making eye contact with them. She should have also…borrowed…eye contacts from Rose. It's not often you see anyone, let alone a Thanagarian, with heterochromic eyes.

"Kendra!" She flinches, remembering that she is known as Kendra in public. She exchanges the receipt for the coffee and briskly walks out of the coffee shop. After she had settled in, Wilson had suggested that she have an alias if and when she were to ever go out in case the League somehow found her real name. Kendra Saunders was Wilson's suggestion and Kenra was doubtful since all they did was add a letter to her name. Then again, she doubts the League even knows her real name. She had never met Shayera, after all. She was more of-

"Give us your money, bitch." Kenra rolls her eyes, darting into an alleyway. She calmly takes a sip of her coffee, counting down in her head. 3, 2, 1…

Footsteps behind her.

"Did you fucking hear him?" another voice asks.

She tilts her head back before turning her whole body. She takes another sip. "I don't have any money on me," she replies innocently.

"We just saw you payin' for that coffee! Don't you start the dumb bitch routine on us!" the third man threatens. Kenra still shows no fear, even after seeing a glint of steel in his pocket. Her eyes narrow and hints of her scar becomes more prominent. The man furthest from her notices the scar and takes a few steps back in fear. Kenra smirks, remembering a lesson she had been taught. There will always be a chink in the armor, emotionally or physically.

"Yeah well, that was all the money I had on me. I don't have anymore." The man in the front strides towards her and attempts to grab her by the shirt. She easily ducks under him and starts walking towards the two lackeys, aiming for the man that had seen her wound. "Scared of me?" she asks, staring straight into the man's ash-gray eyes. She is only an inch taller than him, but her glare makes him feel like a worm that had been caught by a bird. The other man, assuming she isn't paying attention to him, lashes out.

She dodges and as she's moving, she grabs the coward's arm and twists it behind him. He lets out a yelp of pain as Kenra casually takes a sip of her coffee. "Let him go!" the leader demands.

"Uh-uh. You try to rob me and now you want me to let you go? That's some messed up logic, pal." She applies more pressure on her captive's arm and even stomps on his foot, causing him to whimper even more in pain. "Look, I could kill him right now if I wanted to. But I won't, out of the goodness of my heart. But if we cross paths again and you attempt anything, I won't hesitate next time." She suddenly releases her hostage and shoves him away with her foot.

He lands in front of the leader, whose face turns beet-red. He charges at her with his knife, but she easily grabs his hand and applies pressure. He squeals out of pain and his knife drops with a clatter. She follows it up by kneeing him in the gut and she releases him as he crumples to the ground in pain. "Try that again. I _fucking dare you_ ," she threatens them.

"Our boss will take care of you!" one of the two other men retorts.

"Really?" She chuckles, taking one final sip of her latte. "Well, tell your boss that he shouldn't try anything. I doubt he would want to face Deathstroke the Terminator and the Ravager." She can tell it has the desired effect as the men's faces go ghost-pale. She turns away from them and takes off her overcoat, ignoring the biting wind.

"Just who the hell _are_ you?!"

Her wings flare out and she glances behind at the men. "Call me… _Falcon_."

* * *

 **I'm currently on chapter 12 of the rework. If I finish editing the remaining chapters, I might just upload them all in one go. If not, then I'll continue posting weekly.**


	7. Fears

**Last weekend was a "treatyoself" weekend for me and was unable to update as a result. But I'm back this week!**

* * *

 **Meanwhile…**

"Daddy, some villains are on the move," Rose reports, taking off a pair of headphones. She glances back to her father, who lazily looks up from his equipment check and frowns. Rose can see the muscles contort under his mask.

"Well, then I suppose we'll just have to move our plans along a bit faster. It's a good thing, regardless. I was getting rather impatient with seeing who would come for her first."

"Do they know that she's-"

"No, they will most likely target her sister. If it's the group that I think it is, then Kenra can handle them. Killing one of them would be even better. After all, Kenra should know how to implicate another for her crimes."

"Almost like a natural," rose grumbles, almost envious at how Kenra has been able to any task easily and much better than Rose ever has.

"Are you jealous, Rose?"

"Of course not. I'm more concerned about the fact that she might betray us. Aren't you the slightest bit concerned that she could frame _us_ for the crime?"

"There would be no reason for her to do that. Don't forget that she's after her sister, not us."

Rose nods absently, still not fully reassured. But she said she would follow her father and that is what she will do. "When do we begin?"

"We let them find her sister, and at the proper moment, we'll tell her. After that, what she plans to do to them is entirely up to her. We'll be there to collect the spoils. She doesn't even realize that we're using her for our own gains." Slade pauses, a smirk on his face. "What do you know? One soldier _can_ affect the outcome of a war…"

* * *

 **Time: 1800 hours**

Shayera pushes the window up, climbing out and flying up onto the rooftop of the apartment complex. John had left to further investigate the robbery, hoping to find evidence to clear Shayera of the crime. They informed Superman and the rest of the Founders, but they had varied skeptical reactions – except for Flash and Batman of course. Superman insisted that Shayera stay at the complex for her own safety and Batman would continue to monitor her.

Now that she knows who the culprit is, Shayera was livid that she was still confined. But John convinced her that it _would_ be safer if she remained back home where she wouldn't be attacked. She was lucky that they hadn't insisted that she remain in the Watchtower until this is resolved. After telling Batman that she needed some fresh air, Shayera now finds herself on the rooftop.

She looks up at the evening sky, her mind wandering to her conversation with John earlier. Saying those words, it felt so foreign to her. Sister? She couldn't believe it. And neither could he. She explained to him that when she had left for the Academy, she was still an only child. So it's possible that this sister was conceived _after_. But it's odd; why didn't her parents tell her? Why did they choose to omit this? Were they ashamed of her sister? What did her sister do wrong?

"Why didn't they tell me?"

Chills run up her spine and her body tenses up, ready for a potential battle. As more time passes, Shayera relaxes. It's probably just her paranoi-

The wind is knocked out of her as someone barrels into her, wrapping their burly arms around her tightly. She and her assailant seemingly fly off the complex and crash onto the building across. Her face scrapes against the cement as she grips her teeth, attempting to free herself. As the two slow down, she forcibly shifts her weight and causes her assailant to crash into the tall ledge.

They release her and she rolls away, rubbing her face free of the grime and dirt. She remains crouching as she takes in the attacker's appearance. He is large and muscular, with a wild mane of brown hair that goes down to the middle of his back. His uniform consists of a sleeveless black unitard with a yellow pattern going across his costume. He wears wristbands and shoes with the same pattern. A sadistic grin is on his face as he slams his fist into his hand. "You that Hawkgirl, right?" he asks, his voice as gruff as ever.

Shayera frowns, wondering what Mammoth would want with her. Last she heard, Mammoth was a villain of the Teen Titans _and_ frozen after some big battle they had. And yet, here he is, ready for battle against her. "I don't go by that name anymore," she growls.

Suddenly, another voice speaks up from behind her, high and nasal with a hint of irritation. "Of course you don't, you stupid hawk-face!" Shayera turns around to see a bald, pint-sized teenager wearing a dark green one-piece with shoes built in flying in the air via a jetpack. He has a gray appliance in the middle of his chest and green goggles on his head.

Shayera begins to slowly edge her way to the side. This isn't good. It's already bad enough that she has to fight off Mammoth, but if Gizmo is also here…then-

The ground below her heaves as large water pipes burst out and wrap themselves around her body. She struggles to free herself as a new figure appears from seemingly thin air next to Mammoth. She has short, red hair with her right side bald and green eyes. "Shimmer too? What does the Fearsome Five want with me? And I thought you two were part of the H.I.V.E."

She'll have to stall this out as long as possible while she tries to devise a plan to alert the League. But how? "Well, there is a new villain in town and rumor has it that _you_ are a _very_ significant person in their past," Psimon explains, appearing next to Gizmo. He pulls back his hood to reveal his glass-cased dome that protects his brain and Shayera resists the urge to roll her eyes at his mocking smirk.

"And where'd you get that idea?" Shayera questions, hoping that the civilians below don't come up to inspect the damage. Wait! Batman! He's sure to have noticed some oddities in the room while she's still up here! She just has to keep talking…

The pipes abruptly tighten and unprepared, Shayera groans in pain as her wings get crushed. Her legs shake in pain, but she refuses to kneel in front of them. "Let's just say we heard from a little birdy," Psimon answers in a sing-song voice.

Shayera musters as much strength as she can to break out of the pipes, but Shimmer instantly notices. She closes her fist, causing the pipes to tighten more. Shayera's legs finally buckle as she falls to her side. "Look at the stupid snot-nosed hawk now!" Gizmo taunts her, hovering over her. He procures an oxygen mask and she starts flailing to escape, but Shimmer's grip remains tight.

Gizmo presses a button, releasing knockout gas. Shayera tries to remove it by banging it on the ground, but Shimmer lifts her up. As she feels herself start to black out, she hears Gizmo. "This better be enough to bring out that stupid 'Falcon.'"

Falcon?

"It will, Gizmo. Do not worry…"

Shayera hears nothing after that.

* * *

 **Time: 1900 hours**

Kenra descends onto the roof, wiping the blood from her knives. She slides them back into her combat boots and walks down the staircase, heading to her room. As she enters the long hallway, Wintergreen is there to greet her.

He bows, "Ah, Ms. Kenra. You have returned. Would you like dinner now, or preferably later?"

Kenra pulls her caps off, smiling. "I'd like it now, please. I'll be in my room for the rest of the night unless I'm needed."

"I believe that he does have something for you," the butler informs her. "He would like to meet you at approximately 2100 hours."

"Do you know what it's about?"

"Unfortunately, I do not."

"It's all right; thank you, Wintergreen." The young Thanagarian continues down the hallway, entering her room. The moment she enters, she flops down onto the bed and takes a deep breath. Her pet falcon taps its beak on the cage, trying to get her attention. Realizing what it wants, she pushes up her window and opens the cage to let it out. The falcon immediately flies out of the window as she stares out to the night sky. "How much longer?" she wonders.

She pulls a knife out from under her pillow and throws it towards the door. It embeds itself deep in the wood and she waits a heartbeat before the door swings open. "Show off," Rose grumbles as she enters the room. She pulls the knife out of the door and tosses it haphazardly to Kenra.

She easily catches it and slides it back under her pillow. "You want something?" She gets up to hang her overcoat in her closet and hesitates when she sees her mask. There are cracks all over it and a melancholic feeling begins to form in the pit of her stomach.

"You know…Daddy could repair it for you," Rose begins. Kenra glances at her and Rose barely holds back from recoiling in surprise. Kenra's eyes are filled with sorrow and Rose has never seen anyone look so depressed…not since she last looked herself in the mirror. Stammering, Rose continues, "B-but that's only if you're okay with it. I mean, I can see that it means a lot to you the way it is now. But it's also unsafe since someone could easily break it with a single punch. And I know how important it is to hide your face."

Kenra turns back to the mask and she picks it up. She wordlessly sits down on the mattress, which Rose takes as a good sign. She pulls off her own mask and slowly sits down on the desk chair. "Appreciated," Kenra answers, her eyes not leaving the mask.

"Do you…maybe…want to talk about it?" Rose asks cautiously, offering a metaphorical hand to the orphaned Thanagarian. She may not have lost everything during an alien invasion but she can understand Kenra's loneliness and she knows how important it is to talk it out.

Kenra lifts her gaze back up to the mercenary's daughter. "I thought you hated me," Kenra answers.

Rose sighs. "Look, I know we had our differences at first, but to be honest, it was because Daddy suddenly brought you home. I had just barely regained his favor and the next thing I know, I'm sharing a home with an alien. Of course, I was worried about being replaced. I don't have anywhere else to go; I had betrayed my previous teams to work for Daddy. I doubt they would welcome me back any time soon." She clutches the mask in her hand. "The reason why I only have one eye was because I wanted to prove myself to him so I…" Kenra remains expressionless, understanding what Rose was trying to tell her.

"But why?"

"Why what?"

"Why would you choose to betray your team and work for him?"

"He wanted me to come back. He told me he felt bad for abandoning me and offered to take me on as his apprentice. But…I had to kill someone…and I couldn't."

"Who?"

"My brother." Kenra's eyes widen. "Because of that, Daddy wanted to disown me." Rose gently places a hand on her eyepatch. "And this was what convinced him to let me stay."

Kenra looks at Rose sadly. So she was given a test too…"I…I'm so sorry, Rose."

"It's okay. Now, I know we didn't exactly get along…but I would like to set aside any issues we have, especially if we want to succeed. Besides, I could use a story. Daddy's busy preparing your next mission and Wintergreen's making dinner. You're the only other person in here that I can talk to."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. We've got some time to kill before your next mission, anyways," Rose reminds her, leaning back against the chair.

Kenra pushes herself back, her back and wings resting against the wall. Her eyes finally meet Rose's. "Well…I don't even know where to begin."

Rose barely hesitates, "Start from the beginning…from the moment you felt everything fell apart. After that, everything else should be pretty easy."

Kenra glances at the open cage. "I was eight Earth years old…"

* * *

The two females leave Kenra's room, Kenra noticeably feeling much better after revealing everything to Rose. Rose trails behind, pondering on what she had learned about Kenra. Based on her observations, Kenra blamed herself even now, fifteen years later, for causing her parents' death. But she also blamed her older sister for leaving Thanagar out to dry with the destruction of the hyperspace bypass.

Rose also wished she could have met Kenra's friends. They seemed to be a significant factor in how Kenra turned out, especially Fray and Halima. While Fray had been the first to reach out to the orphaned girl, Halima showed her that the world wasn't all cruelty.

Rose stops abruptly and Kenra turns back out of concern. "Rose?"

It can't be. The way Kenra had sounded when she mentioned Halima…it was a much different tone to when she mentioned the twins…even Fray. Does she even know? Was she even aware? She sensed that there was a story that Kenra had not told her, but she wasn't sure if she should push it. "Rose? Is something wrong?"

"This might be an…odd question, but…what were the marriage laws on Thanagar?" A dark shadow suddenly passes across Kenra's face.

"Why?"

"Just curious. Since you mentioned how the Elders would always pair up the soldiers, I was wondering if…"

"Regardless of sexuality, women would pair with men and men would pair with women. For the Empire," Kenra answers tightly.

"But…"

"Like I said, we were at war and we needed new soldiers as quickly and as many as possible. And in order to that, the Elders had to play matchmaker."

Rose doesn't hesitate, "If it weren't for that, do you think you still would have chosen Fray?" The air around them seems to freeze and Rose immediately regrets having asked that.

Kenra turns away. "Fray was who I chose in the end and it was better that way for all parties involved." Rose grimaces. They had just cleared the air and Rose already fucked it up. Was that all she could ever amount to? A fuck-up? "Do you know what the mission is?" Kenra abruptly changes the subject.

Rose looks away, suddenly tired. "I promised Daddy not to tell you anything. But I'll let you know this much: This is _your_ mission and what you do will have an effect on our next move. So in his words, 'don't screw this up.'"

"Duly noted.

When the two enter, Kenra freezes in surprise at the monitors. "Ah Kenra, you're here," Wilson greets her.

"Who are these people? And where are they?"

Wilson doesn't react to the anger in Kenra's voice. "Oh, you mean the Fearsome Five? Well, technically, there's only four of them. But they like to call themselves that instead. They're in a hideout nearby. I had a bug planted on Gizmo during our last confrontation and look at how much that has benefited us. I believe their motive for doing this is to either get information on you _or_ to get you out of hiding."

"So, what's my mission?" Kenra asks, her eyes not leaving the center monitor. Her sister is right there in front of me, captured by a bunch of small, insignificant villains.

"Go to their hideout and show them the wrath of the Falcon. You do whatever you want when you're there. Kill anyone you want, destroy anything you want, and steal whatever you want." Wilson hands her a small GPS locator for Kenra to track them down.

With that, the assassin quickly strides back to her room to prepare. She opens her closet and slides her arm bracers on, flicking her wrists out to double-check her knives. She throws on her cloak as Rose enters the room. "You're not even going to rest?"

"I'll do it once I'm done with this." She turns to Rose. "This shouldn't take long."

"Are you really going to kill her?"

Kenra pauses. Will she? She shakes her head. "Maybe, maybe not. Depends on the situation. My targets this time is the Fearsome Five. They're the ones getting in my way. I need to leave a message to anyone that might try to do this again. I need to let the other villains realize that if you interfere with me, you're not leaving without a scratch."

"Kenra, if you kill her there, there's no way the League will let you out that easily. I- Daddy and I won't be able to protect you once you're on their radar," Rose warns, fear causing her voice to crack.

"Aw, Rose Wilson, I didn't know you cared." Rose freezes. Why _does_ she care so much?

"What? I'm- You're a valuable piece of our overall mission! It's dangerous for you to be fighting them! And even _if_ you somehow-" Whatever Rose had planned to say is cut off as Kenra leans in and kisses Rose on the lips. Rose, caught off guard, does not reciprocate and instinctively shoves Kenra away. "Wh…what the _fuck_ was that?"

Kenra doesn't respond and Rose is unable to read her expression. Instead, she pulls the hood over her mask and flies out of the window, heading straight for the hideout.

Rose looks after her retreating figure, her fingers lightly running over her lips. What the hell _was_ that?

* * *

Shayera's eyes slowly and groggily blink open, seeing nothing but darkness. The first thing she notices is the pain in her arms and that she is chained to something cold and metallic. She starts to try and pull herself free, but it doesn't budge. "I wouldn't try it, snot face! That thing's designed to hold down even Superman!" Harsh light shines over her and she shuts her eyes for a moment to let them slowly adjust.

With a snarl, she opens her eyes and glares at the figure in front of her. Gizmo's arrogant smirk is all she sees so she tears her eyes away, scanning her surroundings. Mammoth and Shimmer are standing off to the side and she jerks in surprise when a fourth person seemingly materializes out of thin air. Psimon, with a malicious grin, glides around Gizmo and saunters to Shayera until his face is barely a foot away from hers.

"We will give you one last chance, Shayera. Tell us where she is and we'll let you go."

Shayera narrows her eyes hatefully at him before responding, "Even _if_ I knew who you're talking about, what makes you think I'm willing to tell you her location? I wouldn't do that to anyone I trust."

Psimon chuckles. "Well, I suppose you're very willing to sacrifice yourself for your relative, after all." He steps back, bringing his pale hands to his glass-domed brain. "Don't forget, Shayera. We gave you a chance…"

Shayera snaps her eyes shut even though she knows there is no way to escape his psychic attack. The last thing she hears is an amused chuckle.

* * *

The first thing Shayera can feel is the heavy rain beating heavily on her. Blinking, she shields her eyes as some droplets splash into her eyes. She realizes with horror that the liquid is actually red. The scarlet rain continues to fall as she inspects her surroundings, the blood starting to streak on her body. Taking a step forward, her foot makes a squelching sound and she recoils in disgust and horror when she realizes what she stepped on. Numerous bodies lie scattered around her, bodies contorted into unnatural angles and blood still streaming out of their wounds. Shayera steps back, about to seek refuge to gather her bearings when she sees a figure in the distance.

She springs towards the figure, noticing how she doesn't seem to be getting closer. As that thought passes her mind, the figure suddenly turns and thrusts a small dagger at her. She narrowly dodges it as it nicks her upper arm. Stepping back, she sinks warily into a defensive stance as the figure pulls back their hood. Of course it's Psimon. "So this is one of your fears, Shayera? Seeing your planet destroyed?" Psimon mocks, gesturing around the ruined landscape.

Shayera bristles with anger and grits her teeth as tendrils appear behind Psimon. "This is what you plan to do to get me to give you information? Well, it's not going to work." The tendrils shoot towards her, binding her arms and legs before she can even take a step.

"Just watch." Her eyes widen as her parents appear with Hro in the lead. A pang of guilt and regret reverberates within her as she remembers how she had chosen Earth over Thanagar and her love for him. She wills herself to say something, but her throat constricts with emotion and she can't form a single word. No. She shakes her head angrily. She has to remember that this is all just an illusion. Psimon is simply messing with her mind.

As the trio starts to move towards her, Psimon raises his arms. The same snaking tendrils that are confining Shayera grabs onto her mother, father, and Hro. Spikes suddenly appear, gouging them repeatedly before they could utter a single word. Then the screams start. Shayera cannot tear her eyes away as their screams continue to ring in her ears. "No…"

Psimon produces 3 daggers from his cloak and has them float over their chests, poised. She forcibly reminds herself that this is all still an illusion, but she can feel herself start to lose contact with reality.

"You want me to stop?" he asks mockingly. "Then begin talking." He gives her a moment, but not a sound leaves her throat. "No? Well then…" The knives remain hovering for a breath before plunging straight into their hearts. The trio's screams cut off with a gurgle as blood blossoms across their chest.

 _The scene changes_.

Shayera drops roughly onto the ground and accidentally inhales a lungful of dust and sand, coughing violently. She looks around, taking note of the forest in front of her. Waves crashing below and behind her indicates to her that she's on a tall cliff. She doesn't see anyone though and that fact has her tense, ready for anything that may come.

"I suppose witnessing their deaths aren't as severe as this," Psimon's voice echoes around her. Mirages of the founders suddenly shimmer into existence, save one. All of them are glaring at her with varying expressions of betrayal, distrust, and hatred.

"I knew we couldn't trust you," Diana growls scornfully, her fists clenched with anger.

"I gave you a second chance…but I shouldn't have," Superman regretfully comments, shaking his head.

"I trusted you and defended you! I thought you'd be able to prove everyone wrong and be the hero that I know you are! But you broke out trust…" Flash trails off.

"We will have to take you in, Shayera," J'onn begins.

"You cannot be a part of the League anymore," Batman declares.

"No, please! Let me explain myself!" She runs to them, but they flicker away.

"Taken off the Justice League and no one trusts you anymore. You even have a criminal record! How shocking. What has _happened_ to the Shayera Hol that everyone used to know and trust?" Shayera collapses to her knees, covering her ears to try and block out Psimon's voice. "But that's not the worst part, is it?" No.

"No…no…DON'T!" she pleads. All she has to do is tell him what he wants. But she doesn't even know where her sister _is_. A glowing dark green boot appears in her peripheral vision and she could swear her heart just stopped. She hesitantly looks up, her emerald eyes locking with his glowing green eyes. "John…" she begins, her throat constricting.

He glares down at her with pure rage and hatred, his arms crossed over his chest and eyebrows furrowed. "If I can't even trust you, what makes you think I'll even _love_ you?" he asks hotly. His arm suddenly snaps out, grabbing her by her neck and effectively choking her. He pulls out a dagger with his other hand and slashes her wings. Illusion John ignores her screams of pain as he continues, "The others told me that they want to take you in, make you get the justice you deserve. But you don't deserve that justice. I want to make sure you don't break my heart again and leaving you in prison is gonna be way too easy for someone like you to escape." He steps purposefully towards the edge of the cliff as she attempts to free herself from his grasp.

This is all wrong. This all wrong, wrong, wrong.

The moment her feet touches air, she starts to double her efforts in escaping.

"Now Shayera, all you have to do is tell me where she is. The moment you do, I'l release you from my little game."

"E…even if I knew…where she is…w-what makes you think I'd t-tell you? Sh…she's still my sister and I'd n-never sell her out." Despite her situation, Shayera still smirks confidently. Even if she's never met her younger sister, she'd never sell her out. Nothing he can do will ever make her talk.

"So you're saying you would be willing to go through all this again?" He pauses before shrugging. "Well, more fun for me I suppose." John releases his hand and she can't help but let out a scream as she swiftly falls. With horror, she can see the ground quickly approaching, but her wings can do little else but twitch slightly.

A loud crunch sounded as her body crashes into the unforgiving ground. She chokes as blood sprays out from her mouth, her crushed internal organs screaming with agony. The pain is too much. All she can hear is Psimon's cackling.

* * *

"Come now, Shayera. This torture will end as soon as you tell me where she is," Psimon reminds her as Shayera's head flops down. His brain still glows as he continues to psychologically destroy her. Silence meets him and he grits his teeth, his normally cool and aloof demeanor disappearing. He abruptly grabs her hair and yanks her up, staring at her empty emerald-hued eyes. " _Where. Is. She_?" he growls.

 _Thock!_

Psimon blinks, seeing a dagger embedded next to Shayera's head. "If you wanted me so badly, you could have just called. Well, I'm flattered either way. I mean, no one ever wanted me this badly. But really, did you have to abduct Shayera? She doesn't even remember me," a new voice comments. Psimon turns around, glaring hatefully at the new party.

He releases Shayera, her head dropping again. "And I suppose that you are the one we've been searching for?"

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not," she replies.

"I have to say…You do not live up to your reputation. How…disappointing." The new figure scowls under her mask, hearing thundering footsteps behind her. She ducks down, sweeping her legs out and knocking over Mammoth. She pulls out a dagger from her holster and stabs Mammoth in the abdomen. He lets out a bellow of pain and she rolls her eyes.

"Shut up, you stupid beast. I didn't even hit a vital spot. But as long as I don't pull out this dagger, you'll live…albeit in pain." She punches him near the wound and his vision swims. She delivers one more punch and he blacks out just as Gizmo and Shimmer appear.

"You stupid snot-muncher! You're supposed to be working _with_ us!" Gizmo barks, his controller in his hands. Kenra flicks her wrists, knives appearing between her fingers as she choose her target. Deciding that Gizmo's the weaker of the two, she charges towards him. She kicks Shimmer away as she plunges a knife into his backpack, the knife sinking into his back as well. He lets out a small gasp as she grabs his head and slams him downwards, leaving an indentation on the tiles.

Shimmer regains her footing and her eyes glow, the tiles and walls around them flying towards Kenra. She dodges them, pulling out her sword and slicing any that she can't dodge as she advances towards Shimmer. A foot away, Shimmer drops into a defensive stance and prepares for a hand-to-hand battle.

Kenra reciprocates by sheathing her weapon and throws the first punch. Shimmer blocks it as Kenra throws a right hook. Expecting it, Shimmer blocks it but Kenra knees her in the stomach. Shimmer recoils and Kenra pulls away, bringing her foot up to perform an axe kick. It connects with Shimmer's head and she faceplants onto the tiles. After a few seconds, she gets back up with blood streaming out of her nose and mouth. Kenra sighs, bored. "You still won't go down? Man, you're so tough."

Shimmer staggers and charges at her, roaring. Kenra sidesteps the attack and pulls out her sword, electricity pulsing. Shimmer is able to stop herself and turns back to Kenra in time to see her raise her sword. Kenra swings down and Shimmer stares at her in confusion when her body suddenly convulses, the electricity coursing through her body. Blood explodes out from the wound, showering Kenra, Psimon, and Shayera in the liquid. Shimmer's eyes dim as she collapses on the ground, blood continuing to pour out of her body.

Kenra flicks her sword to remove the blood as Psimon slowly claps. "I applaud you for taking down so many, but what makes you think you have what it takes to defeat _me_? Your dear, lovely sister is catatonic from my powers. Do you truly think you're better than her?" Psimon questions mockingly.

"I just killed one of your 'teammates' and the other two are near dead. Do _you_ want to test me?" She glares hotly at the villain.

"Why don't you deflate that ego of yours? After all, I was only doing this to find _you_ ," he answers, chuckling. Rage boils within her as her bloodlust envelops the room.

She sprints towards him, her sword crackling violently with electricity. He shields himself as she swings at him, the electricity causing the lights to flicker on and off. "You're such a coward that you're not even going to fight me? You're such a coward that you need to attack people at their weakest?" She tightens her grip on her sword, more electricity emitting from it. Psimon's face contorts in pure concentration as his shield begins to crack.

Kenra roars as it breaks, her momentum causing her to fall downwards. All Psimon can do is stare in fear as her sword breaks the glass containing his brain. She slices downwards, more blood showering the sisters. Psimon collapses onto his knees, muttering, "Too bad…we didn't…find you first…" He falls face-first, his breathing gradually slowing.

Kenra completely ignores Psimon's comment, flicking the blood off her blade onto his body. She turns to Shayera, whom is still catatonic. Swinging her sword, she frees her elder sister from the chains and catches her as she falls. She places Shayera against the cold, metallic wall and checks her pulse. Satisfied, a dagger appears in her hand.

* * *

"The tracker says that she's in here," Batman reports, holding a tracker in his hand. Green Lantern and Superman are behind him, gauging the building; Superman scans the building for traps. Batman had thought it was suspicious that Shayera hadn't returned to the apartment. As he examined the tape, he noticed a glow in the corner of the screen and realized that it looked similar to Psimon's powers.

He alerted Superman and Green Lantern who went to investigate. Once they determined that Shayera had been abducted, the trio headed straight for her location. Luckily, the would-be kidnappers did not stop to think about Shayera's comm link and were able to track her down with ease.

"Let's get her out," Green Lantern declares, kicking the door down. He flies in, guns figuratively blazing, and the other two men rush in with him in case they have to prevent him from doing anything stupid.

* * *

Kenra freezes, her ears having picked up the noise. She curses, debating internally on what her next move should be. She could kill Shayera right here, right now. But she wouldn't be able to stay to see her life slowly end nor would she be able to see the fallout. Growling, she pulls away and stands up. "I can't kill you now…but once you've suffered as _I_ suffered…then I'll kill you." Resolute, she walks over to Mammoth and pulls out her dagger as he groans in pain. Kenra places the blood-soaked knife into Shayera's hand and writes something besides Shayera.

With that finished, she charges towards the closest window, bracing herself for the glass. Shattering it, she spreads her wings out wide to allow the draft to carry her up as she heads back to her "hideout".

John pushes the door down, using his ring to illuminate the room. His heart momentarily stops as he takes in the bloodbath. He spots the red hair of his lover in the center of the room and he sprints towards her, kneeling down and examining her.

Meanwhile, the other two are inspecting the aftermath. Batman scowls, examining the area near Shayera. Superman kneels down besides Psimon, hearing the wheezing breaths of the villain. "Who did this?" Superman asks, knowing that Psimon is not long for the world.

"Look…around…I'm sure you…can figure it out…" He struggles to chuckle as blood oozes from his mouth. Life escapes him as he stares ahead. Superman quietly closes his eyes as Batman compresses Mammoth's wound to prevent more blood loss.

"We've still got two alive. John, grab them and Shayera; we'll take them back to the Me-"

"Oh no, I'm not putting those guys in the same bubble as her," he argues, holding Shayera bridal-style. The two men can see her visibly shaking.

"Fine, you carry Shayera. Superman, you take Mammoth and Gizmo. I'll be behind you guys with Shimmer and Psimon. I'll send these two straight to the morgue while you two take them to the nearest hospital."

The two agree and as John flies ahead with Shayera in his hands, he can only wonder who could have done all of that. The villains tend to avoid interacting too much with one another for the most part; even _if_ they team up, no one ends up killing each other. So who was responsible for this?

* * *

 **The rewritten scene between Rose and Kenra was completely by impulse. I let my subconscious write without really thinking and that's the product of it. Feelings are confusing in general so who knows where this'll go. But overall, I genuinely enjoyed writing their interaction this chapter.**


	8. Earrings

**Location: Metro Tower; Med Bay**

 **Time: 2300 hours EST**

Where is he? Why the hell isn't he here yet? John bounces up from the hospital chair and starts pacing around, wonder what could be holding up J'onn. He stops in front of the solitary window, overlooking the city of Metropolis. Somewhere out there, the person responsible for this entire mess could be sitting in the lap of luxury while the love of his life is bedridden and barely recuperating from her psychological torture. Somewhere out there, these is a sister that supposedly framed Shayera for a bank robbery and the alleged murderer of Psimon and Shimmer.

How was this fair for Shayera? After all she's been through…why was all of this still happening to her?

John frowns, stealing a glance back at the red-haired occupant of the room. Her eyes are still closed, and John would do anything to get them to open again. The only external injuries are small abrasions littering her arms from her capture. His gaze lingers over her, paying close attention to the rise and fall of the blanket. A part of him fears that the rise and fall would stop and he finds it difficult to tear his eyes away.

Fortunately for him, the heart monitor continues beeping to indicate that she is still alive and breathing. He finally turns away and sighs, wondering where the hell her sister could possibly be. And that message…what could it have meant?

Written in blood was one word: Falcon. After speculation, Batman concluded that Falcon could possibly be the chosen namesake for the sister. But why Falcon? What could it mean?

A knock on the door shakes him out of his thoughts. John almost jogs to the door, hoping that it's J'onn. It is. "I heard about what happened and I came here as quickly as I could," J'onn explains. He leans over the red-haired Thanagarian, his face turning into a frown. "Psimon?" John nods.

"Think you can get in?"

"I am not sure. The last time I pushed it, Kragger was nearly catatonic. However, there is a slight possibility that her mind isn't as shielded as it normally would be because of her current state. He extends his arms, pressing his fingers to either side of her head. His eyes glow.

J'onn slowly opens his eyes, taking in the surroundings. Flames cover the buildings in their mad quest to destroy. Buildings not on fire are in shambles and corpses are strewn everywhere. His body is tense as he looks around, musing over how different Shayera's mind is from Kragger. Although, right now, her mind is severely damaged so that could be another factor why.

He stops, having picked up some noise. He hears someone running from behind and he turns around in time to see a glint of steel. His opponent lets out a battle cry as he ducks to the side, a portion of his cape getting cut off by the sword. "Shayera! Wait! Let me help you!" J'onn begins, but she continues swinging her sword at him.

Wait…a sword? He dodges another swing, his back bumping against a decrepit building. He phases into it, hoping to gain some ground and figure out this situation. Shayera has never used a sword when she was a part of the League. This could either be her younger self trying to protect her already ravaged mind…or it's someone else.

Suddenly, the door to the building is sliced into pieces as the opponent appears through the doorway. J'onn becomes intangible, a futile attempt to escape from her. She leaps towards him, but he narrowly dodges.

Ducking behind a table, he calls out to her, "Please! Let me look for Shayera!" Ignoring him, she charges towards his hiding spot. Electricity begins forming on her sword as she breaks the table in half. The force pushes J'onn back, but he is able to regain his footing and launches himself at her. He holds her down, looking her in the eye.

"Where is Shayera?"

She struggles in his grasp, spitting out a plethora of Thanagarian words. None of them seem appropriate to J'onn. "Calm. Down." He applies more pressure, but she barely reacts.

J'onn frowns, deciding that he'll have to pull back for now. He doesn't want to risk harming…who or whatever this is and potentially permanently damage her psyche. He releases her and exits Shayera' mind before his opponent can do anything.

He'll have to formulate a new game plan.

* * *

 **Location: Metro Tower; Med Bay**

 **Time: 2301 hours EST**

"J'onn? You ok?" The Martian collapses against the chair. "What happened in there?"

J'onn briefly closes his eyes before opening them again. "When I entered, everything was destroyed. I believe that is her mindscape at the moment: Thanagar in shambles. Immediately after I entered, someone attacked me. I believe it is a defense mechanism created to prevent more damage. I do not know how I will be able to help Shayera if there is something protecting her. If I cannot look for her, then I am unable to-"

"Let me go in with you," John interrupts.

J'onn's eyes widen. "Why-"

"If your attacker _is_ Shayera, she might respond better to me. If not, one of us can distract her and the other goes looking for her." John grabs Shayera's hand, eyes pleading with J'onn to let him in.

J'onn inhales deeply; there could be dire consequences if they aren't careful.

"This could cause irreversible psychological damage to you as well," J'onn warns him.

"I don't care. I'd do _anything_ to help her, J'onn. _Anything_ ," he emphasizes, hoping that J'onn would understand just how determined he is. J'onn closes his eyes for a moment.

"Very well."

* * *

John opens his eyes and immediately wishes he could close them. "This is-"

"This is what Psimon has done to her mind," J'onn explains. Anger wells up within John, a part of him loathing the fact that he didn't have the satisfaction of dealing with Psimon himself. He should have kept a close eye on- J'onn takes a step forward to examine the area, redirecting John's focus. "It was about here when-" J'onnn suddenly lets out an anguished cry when he is shot from behind. He skids a few feet forward, landing on his hands and knees. John instinctively throws up a shield behind them and his eyes momentarily widen in shock at the Thanagarian before him.

John frowns. While this Thanagarian may have the same mask as Shayera, there is something about her posture that is distinctly different from her. There are wounds ranging from scratches to deep gashes all over her body, but she still exudes confidence. "Shayera?"

She mutters something under her breath and rushes past John as if she didn't hear him. Abruptly, hawks appear where she was and they direct their focus towards J'onn. He attempts to fly away from the flock once he gathers himself, but they are relentless. "Go! I will distract them! You go search for Shayera!" With that, J'onn flies away with the flock after him.

After taking a deep breath, John flies off and lets his gut direct him. As he passes over the landscape before him, he can't help but shudder at the myriad of corpses scattered around. Was this how Shayera imagined the fall of Thanagar or was this merely her mindscape being destroyed by Psimon? If only he had convinced Shayera to go with him to talk to Superman earlier…if only he had been more careful with her. He should have known some of these villains would have come looking for her. She's related to what appears to be a new villain! Of course they'd want information.

He was foolish.

Had it not been for his carelessness, she wouldn't be in this mess. Hell, none of them would. They could have rescued Shayera's sister before she was influenced by Slade. They would have been able to find a way to let her settle into the hero life rather than let her go off on this killing spree. He decides to descend in front of a large tower, pushing his way through the rubble physically and with his ring. "Shayera!" he yells, hoping somewhere, somehow, she can hear him. His pent-up frustration coupled with his remorse over his failures cause adrenaline to rush through his veins. He'll keep yelling until he hears her reply. He'd do anything to hear her voice again.

He hears something above him and he redirects his attention to the noise. His heart lifts, praying to every single deity there is that it's Shayera. He flies up the tower when the tower starts shaking violently. John instinctively tries to hold it up but the shaking stops the moment his construct makes contact. She _must_ be in there. This has to be the center of her mind. The fact that it's still standing, albeit barely, is proof enough.

He flies into the room in front of him, his ears desperately straining to hear some sign of her. He is not disappointed; he hears a sound directly above him. He heads to the top of the tower, passing through the rooms. A room is decorated almost like an average kitchen, sans the weaponry stowed to the side. Another is chock full of all weapons. He muses over how this tower is more of a barracks than a home.

This must be how Shayera saw her home...or it could actually have been her reality.

He slows his speed once he's at the top and lands quietly in front of the door. He waits, expecting the door to open for him. When it doesn't, he slowly twists the knob. He illuminates the dark room with his ring, his eyes scanning for signs of Shayera.

A figure rushes him and slams against the wall, cracks forming on the wall. He barely catches his breath, trying to push back against the pressure of his new opponent. When he opens his eyes, he is shocked to see Shayera in front of him.

* * *

 **Location: Kenra's Room**

 **Time: 2345 hours EST**

Kenra sets her knives down on the desk, looking over them with a distant look on her face and reflecting on previous events. She had her chance; she was _right there_ …and she completely blew it. She was a single flick away from getting her revenge…and she hesitated. Even now, hours later, she still doesn't completely understand why she didn't do it. She could have ended it there, instead of those empty threats.

Deathstroke seemed uncaring when she reported that she didn't fulfill her promise. After all, he had told her to do what she saw fit; all he actually needed was for her to get rid of some major thorns in his side. She scowls, recalling her battle. She had gotten soft since she had first arrived. She should have ended them before they even realized she was there, save for Psimon! She would have kept him alive to get some answers and _then_ she would kill him. Ah well, she had done what she had planned to do. This should hopefully send a message to other villains on Earth. Who knows, maybe the next villain won't be dealt with so kindly.

She effortlessly flicks her knife at the wall, frustration starting to build. "Why didn't I just finish her?" As she buries her head in her hands, her mind starts to wonder. Does she really want Shayera to suffer? Does she _really_ want revenge? Or was that just a spur of the moment? Was it just pent-up anger at everything that caused her to make such irrational vows? Was she just using Fray's and her friends' deaths as excuses for revenge? Was Shayera truly the one to blame for all of this? …Or was it someone else? She sighs, feeling a migraine coming along. Reading between too many lines seems to do that to her often.

She sits down on her bed, refusing to admit it. She thought she was ready for this. Shayera's death was within her grasp and it had slipped through. She had been _so damn close_! The heroes' arrival had caused her to falter, sure, but a true Assassin would have finished the job and figured out a way to escape.

Kenra punches the wall with the side of her fist. Was she a true Assassin? It was near effortless to take out those who had wronged the Empire, but it proved difficult to do so when it came to her own family member. Had this been a test, she would have failed miserably. Her name would have been struck from the Assassination Division's records and her entire life would have been erased from history. Everything she had ever accomplished would be taken from her and she would have no one. She would die and no one would even know, let alone weep. It's enough to make someone on Earth cry over the inhumanity. But then again, that's on Thanagar. She's on Earth now. She should just stop living in the past and move on.

"Stop…living in the past and…move on…?"

She stares out the window, mulling over these words. Her hands unconsciously fiddle with her earrings, the same earrings her beloved Fray had given her when she proposed to her. It's equivalent to that of an engagement ring on Earth. She removes them and examines them between her fingers when she realizes something with a start.

These are not the engagement earrings Fray had given her.

"These are…" she trails off, wondering why she had them to begin with. She could have sworn she had lost these forever on Thanagar. After all, the only other pair was on…

Tears begin streaming down her face abruptly and she clutches the earrings tightly to her chest. For the first time since the downfall of Thanagar, she finally truly lets out all of her anguish.

Once she gathers herself, she looks at the earrings again with bleary eyes. This has to be a sign. The fact that she had unconsciously put these on instead of Fray's had to mean something. She could have sworn she had been wearing Fray's when she arrived. When did she put these on? She looks up, her gaze falling on the bottle of Metopirone. She doesn't need it anymore; after all, her memories are what made her who she is today. The only question is…how will she use her memories now? Will she continue to use them as an excuse to satisfy her anger or will she honor their memories by working with her sister and her team to stop the Gordanians from taking over more planets?

She grabs the bottle with her free hand and aggressively throws it into the trashcan. With her mind made up, she slides her mask back on. She places all of her knives in their respective holsters, checks her hidden knives, and attaches her scabbard to her hip. She puts on her cloak and looks herself over in the mirror. She has changed so much within this past week. She had gone through so much in so little time. But she is ready to make her stand. She is ready to be her own person now. She may be a Thanagarian, but she is no longer a part of their customs and rules. It's time to say goodbye…to both Thanagar…and Deathstroke.

With one last sweeping glance of her room, she exits the room and heads directly for Deathstroke's room.

On her way there, she reattaches the earrings that she had been wearing. Not Fray's – her beloved's – engagement earrings…but Halima's proposal earrings.

* * *

 **Location: Shayera's Mindscape**

John grunts as Shayera applies more pressure on him. "Shayera! What are you doing? It's me!" She ignores him and knees him in the stomach. He recoils, desperately trying to get out of her grasp without hurting her. "I don't want to hurt you!" She doesn't react, her free hand suddenly wrapping themselves around his neck.

All hesitancy goes out the window as he activates his ring to forcibly remove Shayera. He flies out of the tower to regain his bearings, his eyes searching and scanning for J'onn. He hears the familiar war cry from behind him and he narrowly dodges, the mace swiping at his side. He grunts in pain as he instinctively places his hand on the wound.

Luckily, she only nicked him.

Shayera flies several feet in front of him, her mace cradled in her arms. She points it towards him as if challenging him and speaks to him in Thanagarian.

This must be her last defense mechanism against any invaders. Therefore, this _isn't_ Shayera. But John isn't backing down now. "Please, just let me see her. I can help her!" The defense does not seem to register his request, continuing to speak in Thanagarian.

"Don't you know who I am? Even if you _are_ protecting her, you should recognize me!" The defense rushes him again and he barely puts up his shield in time, but the applied weight forces the pair to plummet down towards the ground. John desperately turns his body to the side to try and remove the defense, removing his shield. He narrowly protects himself from hard impact with the ground. The defense skids away from him.

As he pushes himself off the ground, the defense reappears in front of him cursing him out in Thanagarian. It raises the mace and John shakenly raises his hand, trying to defend himself. The defense swings downwards.

Before the mace makes impact, something collides with the defense. John follows the movement and realizes that it is J'onn, hawks trailing after him. "J'onn!" He stands up, disregarding the pain and rushes to help his friend. J'onn endures the hawks' attacks, attempting to both hold down and talk to the defense in Thanagarian.

The defense resists, pushing itself upwards while J'onn clings desperately onto it. John creates a restraint and wraps it around the defense, allowing J'onn to step away. John forces it up against the rubble, making sure it's restrained tightly.

It continues squirming and kicking so John holds its legs together as well. "I dunno how long I'm gonna be able to hold it down. If you've got any ideas, I'm open for them," John grunts, his attention focused heavily on the defense.

"I'll have to try and disable it. That might be the only way we can find Shayera."

"But?"

"If I am not careful, it could truly cause irreparable damages to Shayera's mind." John's heart sinks. So they're going to have to take a gamble. If they screw up, Shayera will be gone forever. But should he dare take that risk? Should they really try and play God in this situation?

* * *

 **Some worldbuilding notes: Rather than proposing with engagement _rings_ , the male Thanagarian proposes with earrings. It's rare for a female to propose so it was doubly world-breaking that Halima had proposed to _Kenra_. There'll be more details to what happened between Halima, Kenra, and Fray in either future chapters or a little collection that will be focused on the five OCs.**


	9. Attack

**One day I'll be able to update on time consistently.**

* * *

 **Location: Blüdhaven, New York**

 **Time: 0100 hours EST**

" _What_?" Slade growls, glaring at Kenra. The person in question is standing a few yards across the room from him, her face expressionless. Despite her outward appearance, her nerves are screaming at her to run. She knows how dangerous Slade can be, but she has to do this. It's the only way she can be free…it's the only way Rose can be free. She discreetly calms down her breathing, hoping she doesn't falter.

"You heard me, Wilson. I can't stay here any longer. Staying here won't help me with what I want anymore. Besides, you're starting to be a real pain in the ass. So, I'm through with your bullshit and I'm leaving. Right now," she emphasizes, her gaze never faltering.

"And what makes you think I'll just let you… _walk out_ without so much of a fight?" Slade asks, barely able to restrain himself.

Kenra can't help but smirk. "To be honest, if I got to walk out with a simple 'Ok, you can leave and have a wonderful day!', then I'd be even more foolish than when I was on Thanagar. I knew that I'd have to fight you once I told you." She shifts in a defensive position. "And I'm ready for it."

Slade visibly bristles.

Unbeknownst to the pair, Rose is eavesdropping as she remains hidden by the door. Her fingers absentmindedly trail over her lips as she contemplates what to do. Should she help her daddy – the man who forced her to kill her own brother, the man who she willingly gouged her own eye out for – or should she help Kenra – the lost Thanagarian who seems to harbor… _something_ …for her?

"Do you actually think you're ready?" Rose looks back into the room. Slade takes a step forward, unsheathing his dual swords.

Kenra takes a shaky breath, clenching her fists. "Even if I'm not, I have to do this." For myself, my friends, and my family and…Rose. Wait…Rose?

That moment of distraction is all that Slade needs to close the gap between the pair. Kenra barely has time to recover as Slade flips her over his shoulder. She slides away, gripping the ground to stop herself and breaking it in the process.

Slade rushes her and she ducks aside, rolling away from him as well. She pulls out her sword and is barely able to bring it up before Slade swings his own sword at her. She curses, her arms shaking as she tries to prevent him from hurting her. Slade pushes himself down, throwing her to the ground. She rolls around quickly and raises her sword again to block him.

Before he makes contact, a dagger comes flying from the side. Slade has to block the flying dagger, which allows Kenra to push herself away from him. They both look to the door and see Rose standing there, clutching her dual katana similarly to her father.

"What is the meaning of this, Rose?" Slade asks, aggressively.

Rose confidently walks towards them, her back straight and without a hint of fear. "I'm sorry, _Daddy_. But it looks like I'm meant to betray everyone…even you."

" _What_?" He steps away from Kenra, who rolls to her side and watches the family feud. Slade seems to realize something and starts chuckling. "Don't tell me…" Rose doesn't blink.

"I don't care what you're thinking right now, but I'm helping her get out of here."

Slade abruptly cackles, pointing his swords at both girls. "You do! Of course you do…I should have seen it coming. A mysterious being suddenly coming in to live with us…someone whom you barely even _know_."

"Rose?" Kenra asks, pushing herself up onto her knees. Rose looks away and Slade calmly walks towards her. She brandishes her katana and he stops short of their tips.

Slade easily pushes them aside as he steps closer, almost stepping into Rose's personal space. "Please, as if you don't reciprocate," he begins, looking down at Rose. "So what now, Rose? You're going to betray me – your _father_ – for _puppy love_?"

Rose steps back and away from her father, pointing her swords at him again but her hands are noticeably shaking. Kenra's eyes widen. Does Slade know about what happened earlier? "I'm sick of everything you've done. You had DeFarge kill my adoptive family just so you could have me and you were ready to _disown me_ when I couldn't kill my _own brother_! Do you know how _twisted_ that is? I fucking _gouged out my eye for you_!" She abruptly swings both katana at Slade, who casually steps back.

Once he's had enough, Slade effortlessly grabs both katana with one hand and glances back to Kenra. "Do you see what you're getting yourself into? Are you sure _she's_ the one you would want to spend the rest of your life with?" he asks, mocking the pair. Rose struggles to pull her weapons out of his grip as Kenra pushes herself up into a standing position.

Kenra points her sword at Slade as well, "Hey Rose…what do you say we talk this out _after_ we deal with your shitty dad?"

Rose smirks. "With pleasure." She forcefully breaks out of his grip, putting him off-balance, right as Kenra charges at him.

Before anyone can do anything, an explosion rocks the room. The trio is blown off of their feet and buried under rubble and debris…

* * *

 **Location: Shayera's Mindscape**

"John, we _must_ make a decision soon. If we continue to hold it down, there might be a chance that Shayera's defensive mechanisms increase!" John continues struggling with the decision, glancing back and forth between the two before him.

The defense shakes violently, breaking a part of its restraints. John grunts, stumbling for a moment before repairing it. He looks at the defense, desperately trying to think of some way to rescue Shayera without any risks. _Please. Let us help you. Shayera…_

The defense visibly relaxes, alarming J'onn. " _JoHn?_ " the defense utters, shocking both men.

"Shay? Is that you?"

" _I AM sHAYeRa'S LAsT LInE Of deFenSe agaInsT aTtAckerS to her mIND. SOmetHinG ATTACKed HeR AND I HAvE BEen AtTEMptIng tO Fix iT._ _I heaRd your vOiCE aNd rEaLIzEd wHo YOU Are. I cAN tAKe YoU TO HEr._ "

"She _is_ in there?" John asks, utterly confused. He had searched that entire tower and hadn't seen her! Although, to be fair, he only headed for the noise.

" _tHe NOISe WaS a tRAP INTENdED To foOL thE THrEATS. OnCe I deTerminEd whO was trULY HeRE to help, I WOUld SHOW tHeM The wAY To shaYerA_ ," the defense explains mechanically. " _FoLLoW mE_."

The two follow closely behind the defense, noticeably relaxed now that they aren't being attacked by her. They land in front of a golden-hued door that the defense casually opens by placing its hand on the door.

The door dematerializes and it takes a moment for their eyes to adjust. Once they do, John realizes with a start that there is a bed at the center of the room with someone on it. He rushes to the side, only to be pushed back by an invisible barrier.

"What the hell?" He turns around to see J'onn stuck on the other side of the door. "J'onn?" He tries to get his companion's attention with no luck and realizes that he and Shayera are the only ones in the room.

" _We recOGnIZE yoU as sOMeoNe imporTAnT tO sHAyEra SO wE AlLOw YOU pasSAge in HeRe. HowEVer, hE Is cOnsiDerED a THReaT to HEr minD. iF YOU dO nOT HEAL ShAYeRA quIcKLy, He WILL Be dealT WiTH._ _yOu BeTTer huRry, jOhn stEwarT."_

John edges closer to the bed, feeling his way around for the barrier. He cautiously tries to put his hand through it but is met with resistance.

Attempting something, he places both palms on the barrier directly above Shayera's head and closes his eyes. He sifts through all of his memories, focusing on his moments with Shayera: from when they first met because J'onn had recruited them to fight against the invaders to when he had almost died fighting the Royal Flush Gang and she brought him back to life…to when Hro and the Thanagarians attacked…to when they finally reunited and finally made amends…to now.

He lets all of his feelings pour out: his anger from when she had betrayed him, his frustrations from the past, his fear that she might never wake up, his concern for her when she was being accused of things she did not do, but most of all, his love for her.

His desire to be with her and his promise to stand by her no matter what. He lets it all out, in hopes that it would bring her back before it's too late.

The barrier suddenly disappears and he staggers, almost falling directly onto her. He readjusts himself, waiting for something to happen.

" _tHAnK yOU_." John looks behind him, having heard the voice from there but he sees nothing.

"John?" His heart leaps into his throat when he hears her voice. He turns around and sees Shayera slowly and tenderly pushing herself up.

"Shayera!" He rushes to her side, checking to make sure she's okay.

"John? Is it really you? Or is it just another nightmare?" Shayera asks, cautiously hopeful.

"No, the nightmare's over," he reassures her. "C'mon, let's go get J'onn and get out." He helps her out of the bed, but she staggers. He helps her up and carries her bridal-style when he realizes that she still hasn't regained feeling in her legs.

J'onn enters the room, its blockade having vanished now that Shayera has healed. "Your mind has begun healing, Shayera," J'onn delivers the good news.

"That's good to hear," John replies.

"Let's get outta here," Shayera requests. J'onn's eyes glow in respond and the three vanish from Shayera's mindscape as her mind rapidly begins its reconstruction.

* * *

 **Location: Hideout**

 **Time: 0110 hours EST**

Kenra blinks, her head throbbing in pain and her ears still ringing. She groggily shakes her head, trying to rid the ringing noise. Her right arm is abnormally warmer than the rest of her body; that's mildly concerning. She pushes herself upward, scanning the area to search for Rose and Slade.

Her right arm throbs in pain and she glances down, noticing blood streaming down from a gash in her bicep area. For now, she'll have to put up with it. There are more important matters than her wound. For starters, what the hell happened? They were about to fight Slade, but they were interrupted by…whatever this was.

She looks up the gaping hole in the ceiling, moonlight streaming down and illuminating a small portion of the room. Large, grotesque shapes emerge around the hole, cautiously flying down using their wings.

Fear clenches her heart, a cold sweat washing over her like a tsunami. It's been a year since she had to set eyes upon these beings. Gordanians. Her fear ebbs away quickly, anger quickly replacing it as she clenches her teeth. Her hand gropes the ground for her sword, careful to not make a sound. If they're looking for her, they better believe she isn't going down without a fight.

Another teaching from the Academy: Never surrender, fight to the death.

She gives up looking for her sword, deciding to push herself into a crouching position. She grits her teeth, realizing that her right arm is uselessly dangling at her side. She'll have to wrap it soon unless she wants to die from blood loss before she can deal with the Gordanians.

"Spread out and search for her. The tracker says she is _very_ close," the leader orders as the Gordanians spread outwards, searching under every piece of rubble before them.

Kenra presses herself against the wall, quietly and cautiously sliding herself along towards the center. "Found someone!" She freezes, her heart pounding. Who?

The Gordanian holds up an unconscious Wintergreen by his tailcoat and Kenra clenches her hand tightly. When did Wintergreen enter the room? Her foot kicks something in front of her and she realizes that it's her sword. She picks it up, but stops herself from leaping out now.

"You fool! That's not who we're looking for! Does that look like a Thanagarian to you?" His partner scolds. The first Gordanian growls, dropping Wintergreen without a care. Kenra barely manages to quiet a growl as the Gordanian continues on, almost trampling on Wintergreen.

Another Gordanian steps towards Wintergreen and drags him towards the center. Kenra sees another Gordanian do the same with another body and she belatedly realizes that it's Slade. "It's not this one either!" But her real concern is-

"Over here!"

The Gordanian that had yelled is pulling one last person out from under the rubble. Kenra can feel a hand clutch tightly around her heart as she sees Rose's tattered body being dragged out. Please…Kenra finds herself begging to every deity that she knows. Please let Rose be alive.

"It's not this one either! Did that stupid tracker screw up again?" Kenra prepare to launch herself at the nearest Gordanian when Rose suddenly flips herself up and kicks a Gordanian in the face. She somersaults and sweeps out her leg, knocking over three Gordanians. She cartwheels away towards her two katana, preparing to fight.

Kenra takes that as her cue and sprints towards Rose, throwing a dagger at a Gordanian that had been sneaking up on Rose. Kenra lands behind Rose, her wings almost pressing against Rose's back. "I saw him coming, you know," Rose teases. Kenra can hear her breathing heavily.

"I don't know, Rose, you seemed pretty oblivious to it," Kenra replies, half-smirking. They are immediately surrounded by Gordanians, the leader still hanging in the back.

"How many _are_ there?" Rose asks, her eye scanning the area.

"If this is a scouting group, this is all we have to deal with. But the fact that there are scouts…"

"Means that there's a larger army just behind," Rose finishes.

"Yup, so we have to deal with these lizards quick."

"Hey! Who are you calling a lizard?!" A Gordanian growls, brandishing his spear. Kenra smirks; there's always a weak link.

"I'm calling you a lizard, you lizard!" The insulted Gordanian charges Kenra without warning and both women duck away. The momentum causes the Gordanian to thrust his spear into another. Before he can recover from his shock, Kenra appears behind him and decapitates him. Rose finishes the job on the other Gordanian as they break the group's organization.

With their formation broken, the Gordanians charge at both women. Kenra easily flies into the air, still careful of her wounded arm. Rose uses a Gordanian as a board to vault herself away from Wintergreen and her father.

Kenra tucks in her wings and lands faster than they had anticipated and disembowels the Gordanian before her. Another Gordanian replaces the first as he crashes into her. She lands on her injured arm and barely stifles a yell. She forces the pain out of her mind, letting the adrenaline rush take over as she flicks out her wrist knife and stabs the Gordanian in the neck.

She starts to feel woozy as the leader of the scouting party steps towards her. He points his spear at her, aiming to stun her. She dodges to the side as the laser shoots towards her. The Gordanians rush her, leaving Rose with four for herself. Kenra can see that she won't be able to hold out on her own for much longer. Neither can she. The wheels inside Kenra's mind rapidly turn as she tries to figure out a solution to the situation. But for now, she'll have to stall.

"What do you want with me?"

"We received word that you were here. You, Kenra Hol, are a wanted criminal amongst the Gordanians for your assassinations to our people. And there are other crimes against you, primarily from what you had done during Thanagar's last stand. You are the last Thanagarian we are searching for and we intend to bring you in, dead or alive."

Kenra scoffs, almost incredulous that the scout leader had essentially revealed his entire hand to her. She tightens the grip on her sword, energizing it. "Do you honestly think you'll get me without a fight?" She enters a defensive position, flicking her hand to dare the Gordanians to attack her. "I'm one of the strongest Thanagarians and you think this small group is enough to capture me?"

Three Gordanians rush her without warning and she prepares herself. The first one attempts to stab her, but she dodges to the side and grabs his arm. She throws him over her head and his head collides with the wall, down for the count. The other two circle her, trying to find an opening. Her vision starts to dance with blackness and she suddenly feels dizzier. The damn blood loss. If she doesn't finish it now, she may not have another chance for her to escape with Rose.

Taking the initiative, she leaps forward. She lands directly behind the Gordanian, drops down, and sweeps her leg out to trip him over. A dagger suddenly protrudes out of his chest before he can react as Kenra faces her next opponent. The next Gordanian charges at her with his spear and she jumps up, landing heavily on the spear to force him down. Caught off guard with the weight, the Gordanian falls flat on his face and Kenra lands on his back. She grabs his head and slams it down violently, forcing him to slip into unconsciousness.

Kenra steps away from the body and faces the remaining ones before her. "Who's next?" She swings her sword aggressively, daring them to charge at her again.

The leader steps forward about to fight her when a voice rings out, "Kenra Hol!" Everyone looks up, seeing a much larger Gordanian descend into the room. The commander of the fleet. "It seems you do not remember me," he comments, the majority of his body still obscured by the shadow.

"Why would I ever remember a Gordanian? You're all enemies of the Thanagarian Empire," Kenra retorts, but she has an inkling.

He chuckles, stepping towards her and allowing the moonlight to shine on him. He seems to be holding something at his side but she focuses more on his face. His right eye is permanently closed, a jagged scar running down his face. Scars litter his body, but Kenra focuses on the one running across the abdomen. Memories of Fray swinging his axe at a Gordanian run through her mind as the Gordanian speaks up, "And I could have sworn you would remember me after I ripped your beloved's still beating heart from his chest."

Rage consumes Kenra, her vision turning red. The next thing she knows, her sword is pointed directly in front of an unconscious Rose and her heart almost leaps into her throat. She hops away, trying to figure out what happened when she feels blood dripping all over her body. She looks around and realizes that she had decimated the Gordanians in the room, sans both the scouting leader and the commander. The commander is holding Rose closely as a human shield and Kenra growls. He must have somehow knocked her unconscious before he had gotten her attention.

"It seems you understand what this means," he taunts her.

" _Coward_!" she hisses at him. He chuckles, knowing that he had found her weakness…again.

"Come with us quietly and she doesn't become a new trophy on my wall," he threatens. "Drop your sword, Hol." Kenra stiffens, her entire body shaking with anger. The commander sneers, pulling out his battle axe and hovers Rose precariously over the blade.

"Don't-!"

"If you want her to live, drop your sword _now_." Kenra reluctantly drops her blade in front of her and kicks it towards the commander, her face contorted in pure fury. "Excellent." He tosses Rose aside like a ragdoll, but his main focus is on Kenra.

He drops his battle axe and disappears before Kenra can react. Pain erupts from behind her when she feels a tight grip on her wing and she crumples, grunting in pain. She turns around in time to see the commander lift up an energized spear. "Fu-"

He plunges it into her wing, digging it as far as he can go and she releases a painful, agonized cry. She tries to wrench herself free, but the blood loss coupled with the excruciating pain causes her strength to leave much faster. Her vision begins to diminish to black and white spots swimming before her, but the commander does not relent.

Her screams eventually end and she lets out a gasp; only then does the commander finally yield. He forcefully pulls the spear out and Kenra flops onto the ground as if she's a puppet with her strings cut off.

Rose blinks several times, trying to focus. The back of her head still hurts; someone must have gotten her by surprise. Her eye rolls around, looking for something familiar. It focuses on a hand in front of her and as her vision clears, she follows the arm to find out who it belongs to.

 _Kenra_ …

She rolls over and crawls towards Kenra when a Gordanian steps on her back. She lets out a choked gasp, still keeping her eye on Kenra. "You have guts, human. To love a Thanagarian is a trap. Don't you know? They're known to betray everyone! She is no different from her sister," he mocks Kenra, prodding her with his spear. Rose squirms, trying to wake Kenra up. "Do you ever give up?!" He kicks Rose away and Rose collides with a flat piece of rubble. She crumples, coughing as she looks up.

The commander gestures and two Gordanians move forward to pick Kenra up. The commander chuckles, walking to Kenra. "Do you see this, my fellow Gordanians? A Thanagarian Assassin has been easily failed by me, and not just _any_ Assassin, but the prodigious Kenra Hol! And you know the reward we get when we defeat these damned Thanagarians…" Rose screams at her body to move, but her exhaustion holds her down.

She can only watch as the commander grabs Kenra's mask and removes it.

Kenra's fiery red, shoulder-length hair cascades downwards, framing her pale face. The paleness makes the three-clawed scar on her left eye much more prominent. Blood is still streaming out of the wound on her right arm and Rose notices how the Gordanians are intentionally ignoring it. The commander hoists the mask over his head like a trophy and the present Gordanians cheer in success of their little bounty.

Soon, the Gordanians begin to return to their ships and completely disregards Rose, Slade, and Wintergreen. By the time the Gordanians leave, Rose has almost escaped from her home.

She staggers out of the building, crossing the street into an alleyway. She glances back up as the Gordanians ascend with Kenra in tow as a trophy to bring back to their home.

Rose then looks at her home. Is this what she's destined to do? Is she only ever going to amount to a traitor and an orphan? She shakes her head; no, she has something worth fighting for. Her mind flashes to a young speedster but she scowls. That bridge was burned when she left the Titans for Slade. All she has left is herself…and Kenra. But first, she must rescue her.

She decides her next course of action is to somehow get to the Metro Tower and get help from the Justice League before it's too late.

* * *

 **While I've started including the complicated romance subplot, I promise this story is going to still focus on Kenra and her revenge. But revenge on Shayera? Revenge on the Gordanians? Revenge on me for dragging this out? All of the above?**


	10. All That's Left

**Location: Surveillance Room, Metro Tower**

 **Time: 0600 hours EST**

Aidan Scott is a normal man, average at everything he does. The only thing that really sets him apart is the fact that he works for an "industry" that none would expect. He is amongst a large group of civilians that had been hired to work for the Justice League when they had begun expanding after the Thanagarian Invasion.

He yawns, a cup of coffee held firmly in his hand, as he sits down in the surveillance room with the rest of his co-workers. He scratches the back of his head, careful to not drop his headset by accident. His eyes attentively scan the monitors, but he expects to see nothing.

He takes notice to a developing story on the top left monitor and focuses the volume on his headset. As he listens to the news report, he suddenly spits out his coffee and his co-workers stare at him in surprise.

He places his cup down and immediately grabs a piece of paper and pen, jotting down quick notes of what the news is reporting. Once he has heard enough, he sprints out of the room to send the news to Superman.

Back at the room, everyone looks at the news report. After listening for a short amount of time, their eyes collectively widen. Now they know why Aidan was so frantic; hopefully, Superman will know what to do with this information.

* * *

 **Location: Medical Room, Metro Tower**

 **Time: 0630 hours EST**

After holding vigil over a recuperating Shayera, John begins to nod off. J'onn had just left after checking in on them again to see if she is still all right. Shayera slowly opens her eyes, noticing John sleeping peacefully on the chair. Her eyes move down and sees his hand still holding onto hers and she can't help but smile at the gesture.

She clutches his hand tightly and he jerks his head upwards when he realizes she's awake. "Morning, sleepyhead," she mumbles to him, still groggy. He smiles at her comment.

"I should be saying that to you. Feeling better?"

"Aside from a migraine, I feel a lot better already."

"Good," his smile seems to grow before it suddenly changes to seriousness. "It's my fault for leaving you alone like that. If I had taken you with me, you wouldn't have had to go through that."

"John, it's ok." She rubs her thumb over his hand. "We didn't expect anyone to search for me to look for my sister. There's no way we all would have been able to follow all the villains' moves."

"But we _should_ be able to supervise all of the villains. We have all this advanced technology and we couldn't keep an eye on you. We thought it was okay for you to get some fresh air and we didn't think you'd need someone to guard you. We even lost your location when they abducted you."

"You're forgetting about Gizmo, John. He's a mechanical genius so he had to have blocked out the frequency. I guess, in his excitement, he turned off the signal jammer."

"But still-"

"Let it go, John. You took them all to jail, right?" He nods. "Good. When they decide on Psimon's trial, I want to be there." John suddenly grimaces at the mention of his name and Shayera misinterprets it for anger. "John, we're already going to bring him to justice for what he did to me. You don't have to worry about it anymore."

"It's not that…" He trails off, looking away from her.

"You didn't," her eyes widen when he doesn't answer. "You kill him, John?!" Her voice begins to rise in volume as John attempts to explain.

"Psimon and Shimmer were already like that when we-"

Shayera pushes herself up into a sitting position. "Oh, and Shimmer's dead too? What the hell were you doing, John?" she cuts in, agitation beginning to grow. She doubles over when she feels another headache forming.

"Shayera!" John is immediately by her side, trying to see if he can do anything.

"Just-!" She pushes him away. "Explain what happened," she commands. John sits back down, still concerned for Shayera.

"When Bruce, Clark, and I came and found you, the room looked like a bloodbath. Mammoth and Gizmo are still alive; although, Mammoth is in the ICU right now. Gizmo got stabbed in the back, but the wound wasn't deep enough to be life-threatening. Shimmer died due to electrocution and blood loss. Even if she hadn't bled to death, whatever shocked her was enough to kill her."

"And Psimon?" Shayera asks, still wrapping her head around the revelation.

"He was cut from the left topside of his glass dome and then straight down. Cause of death was the exact same as Shimmer's."

"And…" Shayera doesn't even know where to begin. "And you don't know who did it?"

"When I got to your side, there was a word written in blood right next to you. It said 'Falcon'."

"Do you have any-?" The door swings open, Superman entering with a paper in hand.

"Sorry to interrupt since I know you're still resting up," he nods to Shayera, "but one of the workers saw this on the news." He turns on the television just as a reporter finished up on her summary of current, worldwide events. Superman hands Shayera the piece of paper for context.

" _Now can you explain to us what is happening here?"_

" _Well, Sam, firemen are still uncovering the rubble at the moment. They've been at it for the past hour. The roof, however, caved inwards in the middle of the night but no one reported it until recently. The area, after all, is deserted and the one who reported it was anonymous. Currently, they're also looking for survivors. Oh, hang on. I think they've got someone."_

The camera focuses on the rubble and three firemen are lifting a pale man in a tailcoat out, his arm bent in an odd angle. Blood and a chunky black liquid covers him. Shayera scowls, recognizing the blood as Gordanian blood. _"Is he the only survivor?"_

" _We're not sure, Sam. The firemen reported that there is evidence of the building have had more than one resident, but they have only found one person so far."_

Superman turns off the television, turning back to them. "Based on reports in the area and our monitors, we discovered that it was the work of-"

"Gordanians," Shayera interrupts, clutching the blanket tightly.

"How did you-"

"The blood on that man. I've seen it enough to know that it's Gordanian blood."

"But why would they be here? Their planet isn't even in our solar system," John asks.

"They have to be after my sister too. It's been years and they never once searched for _me_ , but the minute my sister appeared, they came shortly after. We have to go rescue her!" Shayera begins, but Superman is already shaking his head.

"You still need to recover. J'onn only just managed to save you a few hours ago. We can't let you risk your life after that type of-"

"But-!" She gets no further as she falls forward, clutching her head in pain as it continues pounding. Her vision blurs, but she can still see John trying to check up on her. She pushes him back, taking deep, concentrated breaths.

Once the pounding goes away and she sits back up normally, Superman continues, "See? Shayera, you're a founding member of the Justice League. We can't risk losing you."

"Clark," Shayera starts. "In case you forgot, the girl that's being held captive is my _sister_! My _only family_! We're all that we have left of Thanagar. Who knows what the Gordanians did during their final push on Thanagar! They're probably going to take her back to their home world and put her on trial! Once they're done with publicly defaming her and giving her their home 'justice', she's going to be a passing memory! It'll be as if she never existed in the first place!" Superman tries to get a word in, but Shayera refuses to let him. "You don't know how ruthless these bastards can be!"

"Shay…" John tries to placate her but she shrugs his hands off, her eyes burning intensely.

"If your parents' lives were on the line and you were dying from kryptonite poisoning, wouldn't _you_ go and help them?"

Superman's eyes widen, not expecting Shayera to say something like that. It was a low blow…but she does have a point. Even if he was going to die in the next ten seconds, he would do his best to make the most of those ten seconds to rescue Pa and Ma.

Shayera looks down, her hands still clutching the blanket tightly. When she had asked for something eventful to happen, she didn't expect this. Regardless, she _has_ to rescue her sister whether Superman gives her the okay or not.

Superman sighs, "We'll let you come along, but we're calling off the rescue the minute you show any pain."

"She's my sister, Clark. Even if I haven't personally met her, she's all I have left of Thanagar. I _have_ to go and rescue her…even if it means risking my own life."

"Okay, fine, but we'll begin once you've had a full day of rest." Seeing Shayera about to protest again, Superman elaborates, "I need to see who's available for the mission first. Besides, the Gordanians haven't left yet."

"Wait, seriously?"

"Yeah, they're still on Earth."

"Why would they still be here if they got what they're looking for?" John asks, looking for an explanation.

Shayera thinks it over, "They must have another mission that they're trying to accomplish."

"Regardless, if they attempt to leave, the Watchtower will stop them before they get a chance."

"How _did_ they get through our surveillance?" Shayera asks, suspicious.

"Around the time they got through, the surveillance was suddenly jammed. By the time it cleared, we couldn't find them anymore. Their attack on that building helped us relocate them," Superman explains.

 _So there might be inside help_ , Shayera theorizes to herself. But she'll have to worry about that _after_ she rescues her sister.

Her sister before everything else.

After all, she's all that she has left of Thanagar…

* * *

 **Location: ?**

 **Time: ?**

"Are you sure this is the right one? She looks so worthless! I doubt she's the one with that hefty bounty on her head. Why the hell are we even going after this _one Thanagarian_ almost two years after we conquered Thanagar?"

"You fool! She's one of the reasons why this battle dragged on for so long! If it weren't for her and the damned Assassination division, we'd have had the heads of the Elders much sooner! We've lost many of our important leaders because of that division!"

"But…"

"Shut up! Go back to the bay with the rest! I'll take care of this myself!" Receding footsteps can be heard. "Hmph, damn foot soldiers. Don't even know what the hell they're talking about, and yet, they're still running their damn mouths off...If it were up to me, I'd throttle them and throw them off the ship…"

Kenra half-listens to the mutterings, barely regaining consciousness a few moments ago. She looks around and scowls over the lack of light. The only source of light is the grille above her head where she can see a Gordanian standing guard over her. She attempts to move her hands, gauging the strength of whatever is holding her. She strains against it, trying to remain as silent as possible. After a few more seconds, she finally relents, panting quietly. Her right arm doesn't seem to be hurting as badly, but it's definitely weaker now. They must have decided to patch her up. Makes sense, they wouldn't want to bring back the infamous assassin, Kenra Hol, dead.

She tries to move her legs and groans inwardly; it seems they're restraining her entire body. So they're doing whatever they can to hold her down until they arrive on their home planet. She sighs, wondering if she should have just gone to search for her sister instead of accepting Slade's offer.

Would it have helped? Would she have found Shayera on her own or would another villain just end up corrupting her even more? She sighs quietly, letting her head drop. Her hair cascades in front of her face and she realizes with a start that she is mask-less.

That damn commander must have kept her mask. Figures. He must have wanted to shame her publicly before she's executed. A sick feeling begins to form in the pit of her stomach. This was not how she wanted to go. She had always hoped to die in battle, like any other Thanagarian. Not like this. Not by an executioner's axe or whatever the hell the Gordanians do for their executions.

All she can hope for now is that her sister somehow finds a way to rescue her. Would Shayera even want to rescue her after all she's done to her? She's tried to incriminate her for a crime, she even almost killed her! Maybe Rose…Kenra shakes her head. No way, she doesn't want Rose to risk her life for her.

For now, she'll have to bide her time and strike back when she can. She won't sit and wait for someone to rescue her, not again. This time, she'll figure it out herself. She can't afford to let someone risk their lives just to save her…not again. She's already lost her closest friends…she doesn't want to lose another loved one.

But first, she has to figure out where she is. She cranes her head a bit, seeing another Gordanian lackadaisically leaning against the wall. "Hey! You got any food for me?" she asks. The two of them regard her lazily and she curses under her breath. So these two are either going to be easily riled up or completely immune to her prodding. Just her luck.

"Would you look at that? The savage knows how to speak!" She stifles a growl; she shouldn't provoke them too much just yet.

"What makes you think we're gonna feed _you_? You're the cause of all of our economic problems!" The guard accuses. "We're going to bring you to justice, but first, we're gonna see how long it takes for you to _break_. The commander said we could do whatever we want as long as we don't kill you. And we've got a long flight ahead of us back to Karna once we're done scouting. So we're going to be using _you_ as our source of entertainment."

The other Gordanian's speak crackles with electricity as the two begin to chuckle evilly.

Despite Kenra's experiences and her self-proclaimed fearlessness, she can't help but dread what is to come. The Gordanian with the spear inserts it into a hole on the ground and the last thing Kenra feels is electricity coursing violently through her body.

* * *

 **Location: Metro Tower, Main Hall**

 **Time: 0900 hours**

"And that's our mission. If you are willing to join, please let us know. Those of you present here, please step forward," Superman requests, standing on a stage. A bot is hovering in front of him to deliver the same message he was telling the small group of heroes standing before him. Knowing the underlying animosity some heroes would have towards Shayera and/or Thanagar itself, he had decided to give them the option of whether or not to join.

After a brief moment of silence, one man appears on the screen behind Superman. Greg Saunders, a country singer and also known as Vigilante, acknowledges the surprised looks on the heroes present in the tower. "Ah know Ah had some bad blood wit' her, but Ah owe 'er. If she ever needed my 'elp wit' anything, Ah promised Ah'd help. So you can count me in."

A person in the hall steps forward after Vigilante explains. "If you guys are gonna be fighting some ugly, green lizards, you can count me in," Helena Bertinelli, AKA Huntress, offers. "And since I'm going, Q will be joining too."

Everyone in the room swivels to the Question leaning against the wall in the back. He nods, not even protesting Huntress's decision. "If there is anyone else-"

"You weren't seriously gonna forget about us, were you, Supes?" Flash asks, zooming onto the stage. "We heard form L-Ron. Some of us want to join in."

Superman glances towards the door, seeing Diana standing at the entrance. "But-"

"Come on! We all wanna help Shay and her sis! Are you really gonna stop us?" Flash challenges him.

Superman looks around, realizing that any further protest wouldn't help the situation. "All right, those that volunteered will have the rest of the day to prepare. Vigilante, join u-"

"Ah'm already here, Supes," Vigilante interrupts him, walking off the teleportation pad.

Superman recovers and refocuses his attention on those that volunteered, the other heroes slowly leaving the room. "We'll begin our mission tomorrow, fair enough?"

"Why can't we go within a few hours? If we stay here for too long, it's possible the Gordanians can escape," Diana explains.

"Shayera still needs to rest up. I don't want to risk her getting hurt," Superman replies.

"Who said you had to worry about me?" Shayera asks, confidently as she walks into the room in her battle outfit. Superman glares at John, as if he's to blame. Then again, it _is_ Shayera that he would have tried to stop. Regardless, Superman won't let her go through with this. She has to rest.

"Shayera, I already told you-"

"And I already told _you_ , that my sister is somewhere out there being held captive. If we take too long, we… _I_ might never see her again. I doubt any of us would want to have to go to the Gordanian's home planet. We either go within a few hours, or I go _alone_ ," Shayera threatens.

The two heroes stare each other down and Superman can tell that Shayera is one hundred percent serious about her ultimatum. He finally relents, "You will all have three hours to prepare; we will meet back here at noon. I'll let J'onn and the surveillance crew to keep an eye on the Gordanian fleet. They haven't left Earth's atmosphere and doesn't seem to show any signs of doing so but we'll keep a close monitor on them. Everyone is dismissed."

The heroes disperse and Shayera heads back to the Med Bay, reluctantly deciding to rest up for at least an hour. Despite her bravado earlier, she was close to collapsing. But she can't afford to let that happen in the middle of the rescue. She sits down on her bed and looks out the window.

Out of the corner of her eye, she notices a figure. That looks like…

* * *

 **Location: Metro Tower**

 **Time: 0930 hours**

A slim figure slowly slides out of an alleyway, limping their way towards the tall tower. The figure staggers, letting out a groan of pain as blood trails behind. She leans against the wall, pulling off her mask as perspiration slides down her face. She clutches her side, trying to stifle the blood flow. She had gotten cut at some point during the Gordanian's attack.

Rose pushes herself off the wall, trying to force her aching body to take just a few more steps. Just a little longer, she urges herself. Just a few more steps and she'll reach the Metro Tower. Then she can tell the League about the attack.

Worry for her friend had spurred her on to make her trek from her home to the tower. But there was a seed of doubt since she had escaped as to whether or not the League would listen to her. Once they consider how she had betrayed the Teen Titans and how she is, after all, Deathstroke's daughter…she wouldn't be surprised if they just arrest her.

Rose staggers again, approaching the steps. Just a bit longer. Just keep putting one foot after another. She can do it…come on…

Her vision starts to blur once she climbs the steps. She can see someone flying towards her, their wings outstretched. "Kenra?" she breathlessly asks, her legs giving out on her. Whoever the person is, they catch her before she can hit the ground trying to keep her awake.

Her eye starts closing and she can barely hear the person. Her mouth moves slowly, trying to get her words out. The only word she can utter before she passes out is, "Kenra."


	11. Fray's Last Stand

**I've had this completed since...November or so? But I hit a wall writing the 13th chapter and then lost my passion for writing due to personal incidents. Regardless, it wasn't fair to hold the 11th and 12th chapter hostage this long while I tried to break through the writer's block. I made a couple changes (as expected) to what happens in both present and past but the core of the story is still proceeding as the original run.**

* * *

 **Location: Med Bay, Metro Tower**

 **Time: 1100 hours**

Rose groans, hearing a heart monitor beeping next to her. She opens her eye to a white, tiled ceiling, closing it again quickly due to the harsh light. She lies there, trying to discern where she is. She turns her head and takes in the sights, smells, and sounds. The only thing she hears is that incessant beeping from the heart monitor. She can smell a potent smell of disinfectant and sees white walls, ashen floors, and a singular chair for a visitor.

She feels the needle attached to her arm and the oxygen cannula on her face. There are bandages on her arms and legs, a wrap around her stomach. She must have been more injured than she thought. So she's in a hospital, or at least a medical ward. She looks towards the door and feels her heart leap into her throat, Kenra? No, this person just looks like her. This person has her arms crossed her chest and a piercing gaze that's directed to Rose.

"What were you doing out there, half-dead?" The tone of Shayera's sharp voice promised pain if she didn't get a desired response. Rose looks away, realizing who it is: Kenra's older sister. Shayera scowls at the young woman's silence. "Well, are you going to answer or do I have to force it out of you?"

Rose reluctantly turns back. "I…I'm going to assume you saw the news about the attack on my old home? And how they pulled out Wintergreen?" Rose struggles to speak confidently under Shayera's menacing gaze.

"Who is Wintergreen?" Shayera barks, beginning to grow impatient. "What does this have anything to do with us?" If Rose hadn't shown up, Shayera would have been able to finish preparations! Rose steels herself and slowly sits up. Shayera resists the urge to get into a defensive position when she realizes how pained Rose looks.

Rose takes a deep but shaky breath and looks Shayera straight in the eye. "The Gordanians attacked us and abducted your sister." Immediately, the harsh pinch on Shayera's face softens into surprise and her arms drop at the mention of her sister.

So that's why this girl kept muttering Kenra.

Rose shifts uncomfortably in her place as she begins to wonder if she should have kept quiet. Shayera has been quiet for a while now. "Do…" Shayera clenches her fists. "Do you know where they took her?" Shayera whispers, hopeful. This could be their chance, they could-

Rose looks down, shaking her head. "No…I'm sorry." Shayera could feel the hopefulness leave her instantly. "Are you still going to rescue her, though?"

"Yes," she replies without hesitation. Rose looks up at her.

"Let me go with you," Rose firmly demands, catching Shayera off guard.

"Let _you_ go? You're injured!"

"You're injured too!"

Shayera looks at Rose in confusion. "And how the hell do you know that?"

Rose crosses her arms, some of her confidence coming back. "Kenra told me."

"My injuries don't matter. Kenra's my younger sister and I have an obligation to protect her." She glances to the side in deep thought, her expression changing to remorse. "I've already failed so many people…I'm not going to let Kenra be another one of them."

"Kenra's all I have left," Rose begins, clutching the bedsheets. "When I betrayed the Titans…it was clear that I wouldn't be welcomed back. All I've had since I left was my da- my father and Wintergreen, our butler. When Kenra arrived…I was jealous at first because it meant I could fall out of favor with my father, but…" Shayera looks at Rose with uncertainty. "Please let me come with you. You don't know how lonely it was when I was working for my father. I don't want to lose – to betray anymore of my friends as much as you don't want to let down the people you care about!"

The door suddenly swings open, Superman glowering at Rose. Rose tries not to shrink from his gaze; why do heroes keep assuming she's the worst of the worst? Oh right, because she betrayed Kid Flash and her old friends.

"You've got a lot of nerve showing up here after betraying the Titans."

Rose tenses up, choosing her words carefully. "…I came because I was hoping you could help me rescue Kenra."

Superman scowls, "That's rather hard to believe. How do we know your father didn't put you up to this?"

"Superman, Kenra's my only friend. I've betrayed my father for her…If you're rescuing her, I want in."

"You should be thankful that we haven't given you over to the authorities yet," he reminds her.

She sighs. "Look, I know I've done inexcusable things that can't be forgiven easily and I accept that I deserve to be locked up. But the point is, I want to help you save Kenra." She gazes at him, pleading. "Please, just give me a chance."

"No." He firmly crosses his arms and narrows his unforgiving eyes at her. "Before we head out, I'll contact the authorities and you'll be taken to Blackgate Prison where we'll keep a close eye on you. I believe Kid Flash would want to personally take you in himself."

Rose widens her eye in horror and anguish. Bart…Shayera looks just as equally shocked. "But-"

"You're not a superhero anymore, _Ravager_. I'm not willing to risk taking you on a rescue mission where you can suddenly double-cross us."

Rose snarls at him. _This_ is Superman? This man standing before her is known for justice and fairness! And yet, everything he's doing right now just shows that it was all a lie that Bart had told her! Why can't he see that she's being sincere in this and that she'd never do anything to ruin her chances of saving Kenra?

Rose trembles in indignation, hurt by Superman's accusations. "Why do you think I came here beaten and bruised – _nearly dead_?! I came to ask for help, but I didn't expect you – _you_ , man of steel: savior of the weak to turn me away! All I ask is to let me come with you on the rescue mission. After that, you can take me to Blackgate Prison. I don't care! You can get Bart and the rest of the Titans to personally walk me to my jail cell! But _please_! Just let me go with you."

Shayera grabs Superman's shoulder and softly whispers to him, "Give her a chance."

He turns to her in shock. "Why, Shayera? We're leaving in less than an hour and you want to take a villain with us? Aren't you worried that she'll literally stab us in the back?"

"In case you forgot, you gave _me_ a second chance when I messed up. And I betrayed you all as well. But you didn't give up on me when everyone else did. So why should you deny her of one?"

Superman glances between the two, realizing that she has a point. It seems he won't be getting his way today at all. "If you insist, but don't forget who we're dealing with."

"Believe me, I won't. Besides we'll need all the people we can get to rescue my sister. I'm pretty sure the Gordanians are prepared to counter us." Shayera trails off, praying that her sister is still holding out against their enemy.

* * *

 **Location: Holding Room, Gordanian Mothership**

 **Time: ?**

"This is getting boring…" one of the Gordanians complain as the room beneath them sparkle with light. They can hear the constant, electric buzzing from the machine they dubbed their 'toy' down below. The Gordanian can't help but wonder how their sole prisoner hasn't uttered a single yelp despite the torture.

"I know, she ain't even whimperin'. She ain't passed out or anythin' right? You sure we can't up the intensity?" his partner asks.

"Any higher than this and we risk her getting killed. And Commander will have our heads if we kill her."

"But this is so damn borin'!" Can't we go down and torture her ourselves?"

"What, and risk letting her escape? No way. If we get close, who knows what she'll do. She's one of 'em goddamn Assassins and I can bet she'll figure out a way to escape even with her arms and legs restrained."

"You wanna bet on that?"

"There will be no betting!" the squad leader roars. "I'm not going to risk losing our bounty just because you're bored. If you want to entertain yourselves, then go out and rampage around in the forest. Or better yet, you can use each other for target practice!"

"I don't even know why th' hell we're still 'ere!"

Their leader has a strong temptation to shoot his soldiers, but he resists. "Were you even paying attention? Look, we're using her as bait! The commander told us that her sister is likely to come for her and it'll be a perfect opportunity for us to bring them _both_ back to Karna. We'll be hailed as heroes!"

"But still…I'm sick of doin' nothin' here," the soldier grumbles.

"Quit your complaining or get the hell out of here! I told you all that you can shoot up the forest or each other! We'll get out soon enough. When Lt. Hol and her group find us, we'll ambush them and while they're still recovering…we'll swoop in, snatch the lieutenant, and we get the hell outta here. Perfect plan!" The Gordanians start to protest again. "Shut your traps! If you're so damn bored, stand over there and I'll blast your heads off!"

The Gordanian closest to the grille looks down at the sparks, grunting. "We might as well turn this off so we don't waste the ship's energy." He inserts his spear into a keyhole and the electricity stops; he notices Kenra's head flop down.

"Tch, she's not responding at all. Typical Thanagarians, so damn _weak_ ," a Gordanian spits in contempt.

"Shut the hell up," the leader hisses as the guards all sit there quietly waiting for something. All they hear are the hum of the ship's engines and soft, rapid panting of their prisoner. The leader abruptly stabs his spear into the keyhole again and the electricity is activated once again.

Kenra still refuses to utter even a scream, the restraints groaning as she strains against it. He pulls the spear out and the torture stops.

"Hmph, that bitch won't even whimper," one of the guards complain.

The guard leader alters the device to occasional shocks just as he receives a notification on his pad. He huffs, "She'll find a way to get back at us if we're not careful. Now get! Our cook just finished lunch, it's time to eat. You stay here and make sure she doesn't try anything funny. I'll bring you back some food."

Receding footsteps can be heard from the ceiling of Kenra's small and dark prison cell. She quietly gulps for air as buckets of sweat trickle down her face and onto the burnt floor in front of her. Her wounds she had sustained during their ambush have slightly reopened and blood is also dripping down. Kenra closes her eyes, tempted to sleep as her heart rate finally starts to calm down.

The periodic pulsation from the shackles and the morbid smell of her singed flesh pervades the room, keeping her conscious if only slightly. She bites her lip, the urge to scream – to just let go and cry out – is forcibly shoved down as far as she can push it. But she wants to let go and scream. Oh, how she wants it so badly.

But the worst form of torture would be letting these damn lizards hear her cry. Thus she will never give them the satisfaction of hearing her scream.

She needs to figure out a way to escape and reach her sister, preferably before they arrive on the ship. She doesn't want them to walk into a trap just to rescue her. With renewed vigor and determination, Kenra takes a deep breath and steels herself. She pulls at the shackles with as much force as she could muster but a timely electric shock jolts her to the point that her trembles can be mistaken as seizures.

She bites her lip out of surprise and feels the blood dribble down her chin. A bleary thought forms in her mind; what if she just bit her tongue and ended all of this by bleeding to death? She could try to activate the controls and give herself a strong enough jolt that would stop her he- No, that would be the coward's way out. A Thanagarian must face their enemies head on, not escape from them.

Her mind begins to wander to her life thus far. Recalling how despite her rebellious nature, her parents still chose to protect her to the very end – protecting her from their crumbling home rather than escaping to help lead Thanagar to a possible victory against the Gordanians. After all, she was considered dead weight by almost every Thanagarian on the planet.

Surprisingly, she and Fray were assigned the same room for the night. Once she and Fray settled in, as a formality, she was given the news that her parents had died. But the soldier that had given it to her did not hesitate to tell her to lie to her sister should she ask how they perished, "She doesn't need to know the truth about how esteemed soldiers lost their lives protecting _a child_."

Fray confronted the soldier, earning another backhanded slap to the face. But he refused to back down, even laughing at the soldier after he had left the room.

Fray has always been there for her. Even in his last moments…

* * *

 _She flew towards Fray, sword in hand and caution to the wind. She swore that she would do everything in her power to keep Fray alive so the two of them, at least, would be able to escape Thanagar together. Backing him up, she had killed twenty consecutive Gordanians when one snuck up on her and slammed the butt of his spear into the back of her head. She crumpled instantly, her head pounding in pain and her body sluggish. The Gordanian that had attacked her lifted his spear, but Fray interposed himself between them._

 _He swung his axe at the Gordanian, the head rolling away from the body. Fray knelt and picked up Kenra, flying her away from the battle. Her eyes fluttered open, trying to regain her bearings. Fray stayed beside her, stroking her cheek with his callous finger. "Hey Kenra, how's your head?" he whispered. "I'm so sorry, Kenny…I should've been there to stop that. How can I be your hero if I can't even save you? I'm worthless."_

 _His words shocked Kenra out of her dazed state and she hastily stood up, nearly losing her balance. Fray caught her and held her up. The young woman grabbed a hold of his hand and squeezed it. "No, you're not," she objected. "We all had our own assignments; you can't always be there to watch over me. You've done everything you can up to this point and you even saved me from getting killed back there. You will always be my hero, Fray."_

 _He shook his head. "According to myself, I'm no hero. I'm just an orphan that rose way too quickly through the ranks because I wanted to prove something. And we don't have time to argue about this, okay?" he added, seeing Kenra about to object. "I'm going to take you to the Academy so you can escape from here."_

" _What? No! Let me fight with you…Our friends are dead! Either you escape with me or we die together!" she protested. But her betrothed slowly shook his head. Picking her up bridal-style and ignoring her complaints, Fray spread his wings as far as they could before doing one powerful, swift pump off the floor and into the sky. He flew straight for the Academy, doing his best to avoid every opposition in the way._

 _He narrowly dodged a beam, singing his arm slightly and he hissed in pain. "Hang on, Kenny. We're almost there," he puffed, his arms shaking in pain._

 _Kenra looked away, wondering if she can somehow convince him to go with her. Suddenly, Fray let out a scream as a concussion blast hit him in the back. Fray dipped forward and turned his body midair so that his body would take the brunt of the fall. Fray tightened his grasp on Kenra as the pair slid on the ground for a few feet before coming to a stop._

 _Kenra waited for a few moments before opening her eyes. She regretted it. Above them is a squad of Gordanians and just a couple yards away is the Academy's entrance. She rolled herself away from Fray and pulled her sword out, taking a few experimental swings. Fray is quickly up as well, brandishing his large battle axe. As the squad descended upon them, Kenra ducked as Fray swung his battle axe in a full circle._

 _He was able to make contact with three of the five Gordanians that had charged them. The other two swerved to the side and Kenra swept her blade at them, cutting off one's arm and the other's leg. They collapsed on their backs, howling in pain. Kenra landed between them, both hands flicking upwards as her hidden knives shot out of their holsters. She swiftly put them out of their misery._

 _She stood up and turned towards Fray, about to say something when he grabs her hand. "C'mon!" he yelled, almost dragging her towards the Academy._

 _Once the pair arrived at the hangar, Kenra grimaced. Thanagarians of all ages lay on the ground, weapons in their hands. Several bodies were children and a caretaker, seemingly gunned down by a Gordanian that lay several feet away. At least, his body was. His head was nowhere to be seen._

 _Kenra couldn't help but curse her people's fate. Why?_ Why _did the bypass have to be destroyed?_

 _They stopped in front of the sole aircraft and Kenra realized that there is only room for one person. "Fray, wait," Kenra began as Fray started inputting commands into the shuttle._

" _No time to argue, Kenra." Another squad began charging into the hangar as the hatch opened. "Get in!"_

" _Fray, I'm not leaving this place without you!" she protested again, grabbing his arm. She noticed how tattered his wings were; there's no way he'd be able to fight midair anymore. And when a Thanagarian is unable to fly, they're doomed._

" _We don't have time for this, Kenra!" A Gordanian snuck up behind Fray and Kenra pulled out her sword, instantly stopping him from killing Fray._

" _I can help you fight! You're in no condition!"_

" _I won't let you risk your life! I want you to get out of here!" The squad began converging on them and Fray grunted, forcing himself to expand his wings. Pain was evident on his face as he grabbed Kenra forcefully and placed her in the shuttle's seat. He pressed a button and the seatbelts wrapped themselves onto Kenra as she struggled to release them._

" _Fray! What are you doing?!"_

" _I'm sorry, Kenny," he apologized quietly as he inputted commands into the shuttle. Once finished, he gave her a quick kiss before pulling away. The two lovers stared at each other, unspoken words dancing between them. "I love you," he whispered before leaping off of the shuttle. The hatch lowered itself as Kenra watched Fray, with a war cry, leap into battle._

 _She tried to override the instructions but cursed when it became obvious that Fray had used his personal codes to set it. By doing so, no one but Fray himself would be able to change the commands for as long as he wanted it. Kenra pounded on the hatch door just as a large and imposing Gordanian stepped into the hangar._

 _Fray, by this time, had already lost his mask and blood – both his and the Gordanians' – flowed down freely. The squad's corpses lie around him and he was panting, exhausted. Despite that, he held his battle axe in both hands, his stance ready for an attack from any direction. The Gordanian, which Kenra assumed was one of the commanders, glanced at the shuttle before looking back at Fray._

" _Stay away from the shuttle!"_

" _And why should I listen to you?" the commander mockingly asked._

" _If you beat me, then I'll let you have the shuttle," Fray promised, standing in front of it. Kenra began punching the hatch harder, knowing full well that they can't see her but she can see them clearly._

" _We can afford to let the shuttle go. Whoever is in there is probably just a child. You, however…" Fray was unable to react as the Gordanian grabbed him by the neck and threw him to the side. "You will make a fine addition to my collection."_

 _Fray coughed up a small puddle of blood as he glanced up. The Gordanian confidently strode towards him and picked him up. Although Fray is tall, the Gordanian is much taller than he is. Fray tried to break out, punching the Gordanian's arm and trying to kick him but he barely reached._

 _Kenra's hands by now have started bleeding from her efforts as tears began streaming down her face once again. How many times does she have to go through this? The shuttle roared to life right as the Gordanian grabbed Fray's wing. "No," she whispered, her eye widening._

 _The commander tore out Fray's wing, ignoring his screams of agony. He discarded the wing to the side as Kenra began punching the hatch harder. He dropped Fray, blood beginning to pool around the injured Thanagarian, as he put on a glove. "How does it feel, Thanagarian?" He kicked Fray in the ribs and sent him rolling towards the shuttle. "To see your home be destroyed like this and see yourself at the mercy of a Gordanian?"_

 _Fray does not reply as he tried to push himself up. The Gordanian squatted down besides Fray, trying to provoke him. Fray suddenly leapt towards the Gordanian and slashed at him with a knife. The Gordanian backed away in pain, screaming, as Fray staggered to his battle axe._

 _While the Gordanian was recovering, Fray charged and swung his axe. The axe cut the Gordanian's abdomen and he howled in pain as the momentum caused Fray to fall to the side._

 _Fray looked back up to Kenra, his eyes unfocused, as the shuttle finished its preparations. The commander growled, bleeding but not enough to kill him, grabbing Fray by his head and tore out his other wing. "Your wings are clipped now, you filthy Thanagarian," he hissed, ignoring Fray's screams._

 _The Gordanian glanced up at the hatch, raising his hand again. "No! Don't do it! Please…" He turned back to Fray and thrusted his hand into Fray's chest as the shuttle blasted out of the hangar. The last thing Kenra saw was the Gordanian ripping out Fray's heart and tossing his body to the side._

* * *

Kenra forces herself out of the memory as she looks down, seeing little droplets on the ground. The tears continue to stream down her face as she holds back sobs that threaten to overwhelm her. Anger also festers within her; the commander that had killed Fray is somewhere on this ship and she could have her revenge.

Her ears pick up footsteps above her, a set of feet standing directly above the grille. What would a Gordanian want with her? "We're taking off soon," he notifies her; although, the tone indicates that he was forced to tell her. But why?

She hopes her voice isn't shaky. "I thought you were going to use me as bait."

"Do you really think we're gonna let 'em come to us while we're on the ground? We're going aerial and rejoining the rest of the army. But it's not like it's going to mean anything to you. You have no way of communicatin' with the outside world, so you can't warn those 'heroes' even if you wanted to," he taunts her.

He walks away, leaving Kenra to think over the news. There has to be some way for her to relay the information, but how? The ship rumbles as it prepares to fly and she renews her attempts to escape. She tries her best, only to get electrocuted again.

She allows her body to relax against the restraints. Her heart – her body – won't be able to take much of this anymore. That's when she hears it: a crack on the left arm's shackle. She curses, even with this little crack, it doesn't mean she'll be able to escape. She barely has energy left to remain conscious, let alone try and get out of here.

Hell, if her sister _did_ somehow manage to get here unscathed, how are they going to fight their way through the army? Would Rose even be in the right condition to help them? Would they even listen to Rose? She is, after all, a villain that betrayed her friends for Slade.

Then again, Slade didn't leave her much choice after hiring a mercenary to kill her foster mother and father. Tch, if she somehow escapes this, the first thing she's going to do is find Slade and kill him. Hopefully, that would free Rose.

But first things first, she has to figure out how to get out. She'll have to hope that Lady Luck will be on her side today. For now, she'll wait patiently until an opportunity arises.

* * *

 **Location: Metro Tower Hall**

 **Time: 1200 hours**

"I believe we're ready," Superman declares, looking at the assembled heroes. Shayera is cradling her mace with John standing directly behind her, ready to support her if she ever felt weak. Flash is also by her side, also attentive to Shayera. Vigilante is double- and triple-checking his guns, making sure that they are full of ammo. He even checks his pouches to make sure he has extra bullets. Huntress fiddles with her crossbow while Rose is standing in the back with Diana. Diana's presence causes Rose to fidget and nervously look around despite her attempts to play it cool. The Question is leaning against the wall, waiting for their departure.

"To recap, this is going to be a rescue mission for Shayera's younger sister, Kenra Hol. We're going up against the Gordanians so be ready for anything that they could throw at you. Any questions?"

"How do we know we're not gonna get ambushed the minute we step foot on the ship?" Huntress asks.

"We're going to come at them unexpectedly. I doubt they'd see us coming," Superman replies.

"Actually, they might," Rose speaks up instinctively. She regrets it when the group turn towards her, but Shayera nods at her encouragingly. She takes a deep, shaky breath to steel herself. "Before I escaped the building, I heard two of the Gordanians talking to each other. One of them mentioned setting a trap for anyone that might try to rescue her. I think they're expecting Shayera to rescue her," her eye meets Shayera's and realization dawns on the older woman, "and then use that opportunity to capture both of you and bring you back home. They mentioned they were putting Kenra on trial and publicly execute her so it's likely they might try the same thing with you."

"They seriously think they can beat us?" Huntress fumes, bristling at the thought that Gordanians, of all species, could defeat her.

"Well, no. But they're expecting a big rescue team and they know about the Founders. So you can bet that they'll have your weaknesses ready," Rose glances at Superman specifically. "But I doubt they'll be expecting you three."

"Then we'll kick their asses!" Huntress growls, excited at the prospect of kicking ass.

"Wait, Rose," Shayera begins. "Did they mention anything about a Mothership?" Rose thinks it over, trying to remember but everything that had happened is still hazy in her mind.

"I…don't remember, I'm sorry," she apologizes.

"What's wrong with a Mothership?" Flash asks, curious.

"A Mothership usually contains hordes of Gordanians in there. If there's a Mothership, smaller fleets are bound to be near them because a commander is usually on board the Mothership. It's going to be nine of us against a massive army."

"Our focus is the Mothership, correct?" Diana asks.

"Of course, that's where my sister is."

"Then we can mobilize other available heroes to hold off the rest of the ships."

"So we're virtually declaring war on them," Flash states. Diana nods grimly.

"The heroes will fight any opposition and protect the citizens while we infiltrate the Mothership to find Shayera's sister," Diana explains. "It will allow us to focus on the mission at hand and ensure that no one gets hurt while we are gone."

Superman calls L-Ron forward. "I assume you already-?"

"Yes, your Supey-ness. I've compiled the list of available heroes, on- _and_ off-duty, and I'll contact them once you leave. Good luck on the rescue!" he replies cheerily.

Superman nods and turns to Shayera, letting her know that she'll be the leader of this group.

Shayera deeply inhales and closes her eyes for a moment, clutching her mace tightly. She opens them again and turns towards the door, "Let's go."

* * *

 **The goal is to finish chapter 13 before I upload chapter 12. When is that? Hopefully by next Sunday. I can't make promises for how many chapters I have left because I ended up changing a couple plot points here and there + combined bits of chapters 13 and 14 together.**

 **Thank you for being patient with me.**


	12. Together

**Location: Above New York**

 **Time: 1230 hours**

The Javelin zips past the skyline of New York City. In it, Vigilante and Superman are seated in the pilot's and co-pilot seats respectively. Flash and Green Lantern remain in the cockpit. They had located the Mothership earlier, hovering over the Empire State building, hidden with a cloaking device.

In the back, the remaining heroes are trying to lighten the tension between Rose and themselves. Shayera had taken the initiative, asking Rose about her past and current dilemma in hopes of understanding the girl better.

"So, let me get this straight. You ditch the Teen Titans because you chose to come back to your 'daddy' who just happens to be Slade freaking Wilson. Then you meet Kenra a few months later and her presence caused you to want to change?" Huntress recaps, a bit skeptical of Rose's tale.

Rose had delivered an almost heart-wrenching story about how Slade had promised to be the father she never had…about how he started treating her like dirt after their failed hunt for Raven of the Teen Titans when she was resurrected by the Cult of Blood…about how she forcibly gouged out her own eye to show Slade how committed she was. She then explained how she almost wanted to escape under a new name because Slade eventually moved on from her and she wasn't sure, but she felt that Shayera had caught on that Rose was depressed.

Kenra's appearance was virtually a lifeline that had been tossed to her when she was close to ending it. She, however, did not mention what she suspects are feelings for the assassin, not knowing how Shayera would react to it. Instead, she ended it her story with where they are now.

Rose nods, averting her gaze to the window as they pass swiftly over the New York skyline. She pushes back the lump in her throat, hoping that no one asks her anything else. It took a lot for her to tell them all of this. Huntress still appears skeptical, but she picks up on the mood change from Rose and decides to back off. She leans back in her seat, enveloped in her own thoughts.

In the seats to the left of Huntress and Rose are Shayera and Wonder Woman. Shayera rests her head against the window, thinking over everything Rose had said. She could tell the young woman was hiding something but she wouldn't push anything.

"Is something wrong, Shayera? You've been quiet since Rose told her story," Diana observes.

Shayera sighs. "Rose has gone through so much and I guess I'm still amazed that she was able to keep going. When you start doubting your purpose in life…everything becomes bleak and you just don't want to do anything anymore. But Rose managed to keep it together and she had just reached her limits when Kenra appeared." Diana places a supportive hand on Shayera's shoulder and Shayera turns back towards Diana, her eyes appearing to shimmer. "I guess…her situation just hit close to home for me. When I resigned, I lost my purpose in life. I didn't know what I wanted to do anymore. I wasn't Hawkgirl anymore; that was always a lie. And I was no longer Lt. Shayera Hol of the Thanagarian Empire anymore. I was…nothing."

"But you found your purpose again," Diana begins. "And Rose is doing the same. Hopefully, your sister will be able to as well."

"She's gone through so much…and it's because of _me_. I forgot I even have a sister! It's no wonder she wanted to kill me."

"I'm sure you will be able to repair this rift between the two of you. Your sister had several opportunities to kill you, but she didn't. Shayera, I believe that deep down, she still cares for and loves you."

Shayera's hand lies atop Diana's as she blinks away the tears. "You're right. And first things first, we have to rescue her. Rose said it's going to be a trap for the Founders, so the rest should be fine. But what if they somehow know exactly who's coming?"

"We'll be on guard, Shayera…we've fought worse than the Gordanians. Don't worry," Diana squeezes comfortingly, "We will rescue your sister."

Shayera looks at Diana, her eyes pleading that Diana is telling the truth. Diana can tell that Shayera is suffering immensely from this ordeal and she can't help but feel guilty for having assumed the worst of Shayera when the robbery had occurred. "I know…but I can't help but feel that something bad is going to happen."

"Touchwood," Huntress interrupts, having unintentionally listened on their conversation. "Come on, these are Gordanians. They can't be as bad as Darkseid and his parademons, can they?"

"Parademons are simple-minded monsters who just serve for Darkseid. The Gordanians are far more advanced and intelligent than parademons so they know exactly what they're doing…most of the time. If they collected intel on us, we're screwed…especially if they have a leading officer. They'll have every means to counterattack and ambush us like Rose said," Shayera explains.

"Oh come on. It still shouldn't be that hard," Huntress dismisses. "We'll kick their asses like we always do and rescue your little sister."

Shayera looks at Huntress before making eye contact with Diana, the pleading in her eyes beginning to fade as a familiar fire takes place. She nods, "You're right." She lets out a deep sigh, her hands clutching the seat's handle, and Diana can't help but pity her. Shayera's been through so much in the last few days and she's still here, ready to fight anything for her sister, the last remnant of Thanagar. "We'll bring her back," Shayera promises herself.

* * *

 **Location: Gordanian Mothership**

 **Time: ?**

"She is secured?"

"Yes sir. The two watching over her have made sure she won't be moving anytime soon."

A deep-throated chuckle can be heard. "Excellent. Once we reach Karna, we'll finally bring her to justice. Perhaps I should go down there myself to talk to her. I'm sure she would want to know what happened to her precious Thanagar."

"Of course, sir. Would you like me to-?"

"No, I will do it myself. I want to see her resolve destroyed with my own eyes."

Kenra looks up, frowning as her ears pick up light footsteps. She contemplates over the meaning of the light footsteps; a Gordanian normally is not that lithe. It has to be the commander that threatened to kill Rose. The hatch opens and someone drops through.

Kenra twitches uncontrollably as a pulse of electricity rips through her again. The Gordanian steps into view, his sneer more menacing than the guards. Definitely the commander, Kenra muses.

"I'm going to assume you're the big bad leader of this platoon?" He could even be one of the High Commanders of Karna, but she would _never_ back down against a Gordanian.

"That bravery is rather foolhardy isn't it, Kenra Hol?" he fires back. Kenra's eyes trail over his battle scars and he notices, tracing the scar on his sealed eye.

"Ah, yes. This was given to me by your beloved. I had underestimated his stubbornness," he chuckles.

"If you think coming here and taunting me about Fray is going to make me want to kill you more, well you're one hundred percent correct. If you're expecting me to be terrified of what you did to him, you're mistaken. I'll take any torture you have planned for me," Kenra challenges him.

"Ah, but what if I were to tell you that I'm not here to torture you?"

"If you're actually here for small talk, I'd rather choke on my own blood and quite frankly, I'm thinking about it."

He chuckles, "Are you saying you do not want to know the fate of your home planet?" He suppresses the urge to smile as emotions dance across Kenra's face.

Don't fall for the bait. Don't fall for the bait. Don't fall for the bait. "What are you saying?" Her rational side is screaming at her, but her genuine curiosity and fear over the fate of her home surpasses it.

"Oh please, it's not like you didn't anticipate this, Thanagarian," he scoffs. "We both know how the war was going to turn out. Are you telling me, that with all that knowledge in your head, you honestly doubted our ability to defeat your home and enslave countless Thanagarians? You and you sister were lucky; you both managed to escape the destruction."

Kenra's eyes widen, despite having promised herself to not show any emotion to the commander. "We're…the only ones left?"

"Oh no, there _have_ been reports of other Thanagarians in hiding…possibly preparing themselves for a rebellion to rescue the enslaved." He pauses for dramatic effect. "That is, if they all didn't already _die_."

Pure rage washes over Kenra as she strains against the bonds, the metal beginning to groan. "I'll kill you! And when I'm done with you, I'll rip your damn heart out like you did to Fray!"

The commander steps back unperturbed, pressing a button on his belt. Sparks fly, enveloping Kenra again in the torture. Caught off guard, she screams in earnest as the commander relishes in her pain. "And just how will you do that if you can't even escape?" he taunts her, but she can barely hear him over the electricity crackling.

After a few minutes, he presses the button again to deactivate the electricity. Kenra's head flops down, losing consciousness. "Weak. Just like all the other Thanagarians." As he leaves the room, he orders the guards to "have at her" and returns to the bay.

"Sir, we have detected a plane flying towards us!" He strides towards the radar, smirking.

"Be ready for them. And get the traps ready!" he orders. He looks out to the sky. Soon, he'll capture the two Thanagarians and he'll be hailed as a hero. Soon, he'll get his revenge.

* * *

"Get ready, we're about to board the ship," John warns before turning back into the cockpit. The women all check their weapons one last time, mentally prepping themselves for the battle to come. Vigilante veers the Javelin to the side, shooting at the Mothership to gain its attention.

The Javelin flips over as Vigilante dodges past a series of missile blasts. "We're comin' in fast!" he announces, switching on the autopilot once the blasts cease. He follows the group to the hatch as Superman opens it. "This has got to be the craziest shit I've ever done!" Huntress complains, clutching tightly to a railing.

"We're probably gonna have to do some crazier stuff later!" Flash retorts as John wraps the non-flyers in a bubble. The heroes fly towards the Mothership and both Superman and Wonder Woman tear out a hole to allow them entrance. Once they are all in the ship, Superman is hit by a blast of green light. Wonder Woman follows the beam and dispatches the blaster, lobbing the Kryptonite out of the room.

The Gordanians blast Flash with a freezing gun, similar to Captain Cold's. Superman, his strength returning, flies towards them and crushes the gun into bits and pieces.

A small battalion of Gordanians enter the room, their weapons brandished in an attempt to appear menacing to the heroes. Anyone can tell that these Gordanians in the room are fully aware that they stand no chance against the heroes. "Our turn," Huntress declares. She and Rose charge towards the battalion and the Gordanians, insulted by the lack of respect, rise up to the challenge. Rose and Huntress tag-team the battle, using their martial arts alone to take them down. Soon, the two are standing over heaps of unconscious Gordanians.

Doors all around them slide open, allowing a larger army of Gordanians to filter in and the heroes meet them blow for blow.

Huntress continues to bob and weave her way through the Gordanians, delivering near-lethal blows at every opportunity she gets. The Question easily does the same. Vigilante covers their backs with his hyperkinetic bullets from a distance. Superman and Diana easily pummel the Gordanians into unconsciousness and Flash maneuvers his way through the room, dealing a quick jab to any Gordanian that is unlucky to be in his way. Rose parries each strike, delivering her own attack when her opponents leave an opening for her.

John creates a variety of constructs, ranging from a large baseball bat to a fist to clear his path. Shayera, of course, resorts to swinging her mace into each Gordanian. Superman realizes that they'll be stuck in here for a while as the wave of Gordanians seem to be never-ending. He turns to Shayera and John. "Shay! You and Lantern go look for your sister! We'll hold them off here!" Superman commands. The two nod in agreement as the heroes carve a path for them. Soon, the pair are out of the room.

Shayera flies ahead of John, clearing the way with her mace. John follows closely behind her, keeping a close eye on any Gordanian that might be faking it. Shayera suddenly veers to the left, heading for a door at the end of the corridor. "Shay, wait!"

He turns around the corner to see Shayera engaged in a fight. Without hesitation, he wraps the Gordanian up with his ring and smashes him against the wall. The two turn towards the door and combine their efforts to open the door. The sound of grinding metal fills the room. Shayera swings her mace violently at the door and it finally heaves, allowing them to enter. John follows her in, looking everywhere for Kenra.

Shayera notices the grille in the center of the room and sprints towards it. She kneels down, looking through the slits and her heart leaps into her throat as she takes in the sight. "Kenra!" Emotions overwhelm her for a moment. She thought she had lost everything when she had betrayed her people. But seeing Kenra in the flesh after so many years, tears threaten to trickle down her face. Hands shaking, she grabs the grille and rips it away. She descends and stands there frozen, staring at the scene before her.

Kenra is not uttering a single sound, not even a whimper. It's a wonder how she has yet to die. By now, wounds, varying from scratches to gashes, and burns litter her arms and legs. Blood is streaming down her face from the wound on her head dying her hair a darker red than normal. Feathers are scattered before her feet, parts of her wings singed.

John shakes himself from his stupor, noticing how Shayera herself is still rigid. "Shayera, snap out of it." He shakes her softly and she flinches, her eyes refusing to peel away from the scene. "We have to break her out," he quietly reminds her.

That is all she needs. She tightens her grip on her family heirloom, her mace. She grits her teeth and lets out a low snarl as John takes a step back. She lets out her war cry, swinging at the source of the electricity. As the mace absorbs it, Shayera smashes the trap. The electricity dies down immediately.

She steps back as the restraints automatically pull back, allowing Kenra to fall forward. Shayera extends her arms out to catch Kenra as tears start to flow down her face. She carefully and delicately kneels down, allowing Kenra to rest on her legs. As she strokes Kenra's head softly, she feels Kenra stir. She blinks, her heterochromic eyes dazedly staring up at Shayera. Her throat, raw from screaming, struggles to form words. "Sh-"

Shayera shushes her. "Don't speak. Just rest for now," she whispers. Kenra stares at her for a moment before closing them again, her body grateful for its freedom. John looks at the scene with a small smile on his lips. After years of separation, the sisters are finally reunited.

* * *

 **We're nearing the end of the story. Even now, my mind is still running with multiple ways on how to end it but we'll see what happens.**


End file.
